New Delhi, June 21 The Opposition on Tuesday anointed former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha as their candidate for the upcoming Presidential election.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP held a series of meetings, including one with Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Naidu, who rushed back to Delhi from an International Yoga Day event in Secundarabad, for a closed-door meeting with the BJP President J Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

BJP’s parliamentary board under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in the evening to discuss their choice of the candidate. .

‘Custodian of the Constitution’

Congress media head Jairam Ramesh while reading out a resolution by the Opposition parties said, “In the forthcoming Presidential Election, which is being held in the year of the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence, we have decided to field a common candidate who can truly serve as the Custodian of the Constitution and stop the Modi Government from doing further damage to Indian democracy and India’s social fabric.” . Yashwant Sinha is “eminently qualified to uphold the secular and democratic character of the Indian Republic and its Constitutional values,” he said.

Ideally, said the Opposition, a consensus candidate of the Government and the Opposition should be elected for the highest office of the Republic.

“However, the initiative for this should have been taken by the Government. We regret the fact that the Modi Government made no serious efforts in this direction. We, therefore, appeal to all the political parties to support the candidature of Yashwant Sinha so that the nation can have a worthy Rashtrapati elected unopposed,” said the Opposition resolution.

Opposition unity

“India is passing through difficult times. The BJP government at the Centre has failed totally in fulfilling its promises and commitments. Furthermore, it is misusing ED, CBI, Election Commission, Governor’s office and other institutions as weapons against the Opposition Parties and State governments run by them. Therefore, we assure the people of India that the unity of the Opposition Parties, which has been forged for the Presidential Election in a spirit of equality, common commitments and consensus-building through dialogue, will be further consolidated in the months ahead,” the resolution added.

A committee has been formed to steer Yashwant Sinha’s campaign which will start working from today.

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