TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Top leaders of several opposition parties will go into a huddle on Friday at a luncheon hosted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi where they would explore the possibility of fielding a joint candidate for the presidential election.
Sources in these parties said the meeting is likely to be held in Parliament House complex and would be attended by leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and JD(U) veteran Sharad Yadav, who is himself a possible contender for the top constitutional post.
Banerjee, who is also the TMC chief, is already in the national capital, and is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi separately on Friday.Sources said invitations have been sent to JD(U), CPI, CPI-M, SP, DMK, NCP, RJD, TMC, besides some other big and small regional parties.
The main opposition Congress is seeking a larger unity among non-NDA parties ahead of the presidential election which could be taken forward to the upcoming assembly polls in states like Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, besides the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.
