Next President of India: Sonia to form committee to decide on candidate, says Lalu

A committee under Sonia Gandhi's leadership is likely to decide on the name of the opposition parties' candidate for the next President.

New Delhi, May 29: As the opposition parties are yet to decide on a consensus candidate for the next President of India, Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday revealed that Congress president Sonia Gandhi is all set to constitute a committee which will come up with names of possible candidates for the post.

Yadav added that the committee will also decide on the name of the candidate for the Vice-President. Leaders of 17 anti-NDA political parties took the decision to form the committee for the presidential and vice presidential polls.

The terms of the current President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari are ending in July. Thus the Opposition parties are regularly hosting meetings to come up with consensus candidates for both the highest posts in the country.

"Meeting took place in a good cordial atmosphere. This is the first time we all sat after completion of three years of Modi government. We discussed on election of President, Vice President; authorized Sonia ji to form committee," said Yadav after attending meeting with Gandhi.

Even the ruling BJP-led NDA alliance is yet to reveal the name of its candidates for the posts of President and Vice-President. In recent times, media reports suggested that the ruling alliance wants Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat as the next President of the country.

However, Bhagwat clarified that he was not in the race. Several other names are also doing the rounds as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to choose his candidates for the two important posts.

OneIndia News