Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi is Opposition pick for Vice-President

New Delhi: Eighteen Opposition parties on Tuesday chose former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi as their joint candidate for vice-president, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s name was endorsed by all 18 Opposition parties, including the JD(U), which had broken ranks with the opposition to back NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential election.

“The leaders of 18 Opposition parties got together to decide on the vice-presidential candidate. All of them spoke in support of Gopal Gandhi and have decided to field him as their joint candidate for the vice presidential election.

“We spoke to him, after which he has agreed to be the joint opposition candidate for the post of vice president of India,” the Congress president said after the meeting.