New Delhi: Taking on a “historic” responsibility, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has met several key Opposition leaders, will meet BSP chief Mayawati, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and DMK leader M.K. Stalin in a bid to arrive at a consensus over an Opposition candidate for the coming presidential poll in July when President Pranab Mukherjee completes his term. Mrs Gandhi, who met National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, has also spoken on the phone with Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. She has already met JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP’s Sharad Pawar and Indian Union Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has also spoken over phone with former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav.
Sources said that the Congress has decided to “act as the building block for various parties to come together” in this “battle of ideologies”, and the party thinks that “it is a historic responsibility”.
The Opposition parties, which are taking baby steps towards a broad-based anti-Modi coalition, feel that the presidential poll is the acid test to see whether such a conglomerate can work.
