Mamata’s Pawar play fails: all eyes on today’s Delhi meet

NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Left leaders met NCP chief Sharad Pawar separately on Tuesday trying to convince the veteran leader to be the joint opposition nominee for the presidential election. Pawar, however, refused, said CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said after he met with him.

Pawar met Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, and NCP leaders Praful Patel and PC Chacko in Delhi and conveyed to them his decision to not contest the election.

“I have been informed that Pawar will not be the Opposition face for the Presidential poll, other names are under consideration,” said Yechury.

Opposition sources said Pawar was not keen to enter a battle that he is destined to lose at this point in his political career.

Banerjee is in Delhi for a meeting of non-BJP parties she has convened to formulate a joint strategy for the upcoming presidential poll on June 15.

Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also shot down speculation that he is in the running for the top post. “I am not in the race, I will not be opposition candidate for the post,” the former Union Minister reportedly said at an NCP meeting in Mumbai Monday evening.

The buzz started after the Congress indicated its support for Pawar as presidential candidate. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge met with the NCP leader at his Mumbai home last week, with a message from Sonia Gandhi.

But the NCP said its leader does not want to fight a losing battle. “No doubt, if Pawar saheb becomes President, every Marathi person’s chest will swell with pride,” said Chhagan Bhujbal, senior NCP leader. “But the question is this: Do we have the numbers?”

Bhujbal asserted that Pawar would not like to “sit at one place” by becoming President or Governor. “He does not like protocol much. He likes meeting people in the villages, sitting with farmers in their fields,” he said.

Pawar, however, continues to play a leading role in the opposition consultations on the next President, polls for which will be held on July 18.

Are you in Chennai? Then click here to get our newspaper at your doorstep!