Delhi: Sushma Swaraj has emerged the lead contender to become NDA’s nominee for the next President of India, as per a media report.
News18 quoted three top sources from the BJP and RSS as saying that the External Affairs Minister, 65, qualified in every criteria laid down by the BJP top brass and at the same time, had the backing of the Sangh.
The media house also quoted a top BJP leader, privy to deliberations, as saying that a decision was made earlier on not to field any apolitical candidate just for the sake of building a consensus.
“Leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik will find it difficult to oppose her,” he was quoted as saying.
Names of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu have also been doing the rounds.
BJP veterans MM Joshi and LK Advani's chances were reduced after they were chargesheeted in the Babri demolition case.
Meanwhile, consultation process in both the BJP and the Opposition camps shifted into high gear on Wednesday as filing of nominations for the presidential election began.
The ruling party's three-member panel reached out to its allies as well as rivals while the Congress-led Opposition parties, too, held a meeting but maintained that no names were discussed for the presidential poll.
They will meet again, most likely after the BJP discloses the name of its candidate.
BJP sources have said the NDA candidate for the top constitutional post is likely to file nomination before Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for the US on June 25, as per PTI.
The last date for filing of nomination is June 28.
Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Rajnath Singh, two members of the panel apart from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday as part of efforts to evolve a broad consensus on the presidential candidate.
Naidu today spoke to TDP chief and BJP ally N Chandrababu Naidu and leaders of some regional outfits in southern India. He also called up Satish Mishra of the Mayawati-led BSP and Praful Patel of the NCP, headed by Sharad Pawar.
Mishra and Patel represented their parties later in the Opposition's meeting.
No names were discussed in the meeting as Opposition leaders met to chalk out their strategy for the presidential election scheduled for July 17, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
He said the 10-member Opposition panel would meet again to decide on a suitable presidential nominee.
He, however, did not give any timeframe.
(With Agency inputs)
