Will fight prez poll if govt. fails to come up with consensus candidate: Opp

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Forging a common stance on the upcoming presidential polls, a united opposition that included the Congress and some arch rivals on Friday decided to field its candidate if the NDA government fails to come up with an “acceptable consensual” nominee.

Leaders of 17 parties came together at a luncheon hosted by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on a day when the Modi government celebrated its third anniversary today but the absence of JD(U) stalwart and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar set off speculation.

Kumar is likely to be present at the lunch Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting here tomorrow for visiting Mauritius Premier Pravind Jugnauth. JD(U) leader Pavan Verma, however, said that nothing should be read into the chief minister’s absence at today’s meeting. Incumbent Pranab Mukherjee demits office on July 25.

The meeting also saw opposition leaders attack the Centre on the “grave” situation in Kashmir and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and alleged that various sections of society — Dalits, youth, women, poor and oppressed sections were facing atrocities in this regime.