Presidential polls: Sonia Gandhi begins meet with Oppn leaders

The Meeting called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi with Opposition leaders to build a consensus on the Presidential nominee, began on 26 may in the Parliament.

Leaders of 17 parties namely JD (U), CPI, CPI-M, SP, DMK, NCP, RJD and TMC, besides some other big and small regional parties are attending the meeting.

Congress Vice president Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Ahmed Patel, another Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, leader A.K. Antony, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, CPI's D Raja and JD(U) veteran Sharad Yadav, veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajma, JD (S) member CS Puttaraju, the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders Ram Gopal Yadav, Naresh Agarwal, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati, DMK leader Kanimozhi, Kerala Congress leader Jose Mani, IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty, National Conference's working president Omar Abdullah, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) member N.K.Premachandran, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Party (JMM) MP Sanjeev Kumar, J. Iemant Soren are the attendees.

The opposition put up a grand and united show on a day that also marks the third anniversary of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

A few days back, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar indicated his support in favour of Pranab Mukherjee if he secured a second term as the President.

However, the Congress so far has been non-committal on a second term for him.

On the other hand, the Shiv Sena, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra had proposed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's name as the National Democratic Alliance's candidate for the country's top constitutional post earlier too.

President Pranab Mukherjee will demit office on July 25 and Vice President Hamid Ansari will complete his second tenure in August.

-ANI