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Gopalkrisha Gandhi. As the opposition parties began discussions on fielding a joint candidate for the forthcoming Presidential elections, their search for an acceptable and credible face has again taken them to the doorsteps of Gopal Krishna Gandhi, a former administrator, diplomat and Governor, and the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
Sources said NCP leader Praful Patel, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his CPI counterpart D Raja spoke to Gandhi during a meeting the Left leaders had with NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday.
Gandhi is learnt to have told them that he would get back after consulting his family members.
On Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mentioned his name — and also that of National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah — at a meeting of opposition parties, the first official exercise to arrive at a common candidate.
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When contacted, Gandhi told The Indian Express that “it is too premature for me to comment”.
Gandhi was in the reckoning as the joint Opposition candidate in 2017 as well, but the parties fielded former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar after the ruling NDA announced Ram Nath Kovind as its nominee. Gandhi was then fielded as the Opposition candidate for the Vice President’s post.
The Left, sources said, is keen on Gandhi if Pawar and Abdullah turn down the requests of opposition parties to be their candidate. Pawar has already made it clear that he is not interested. Abdullah, too, is said to be not interested in throwing his hat in the race.
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Gandhi was the Governor of West Bengal during the UPA’s first term in office. Interestingly, the remarks of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge at Wednesday’s meeting signal that the party was open to the idea of Gandhi’s candidature.
Kharge said the Opposition candidate should be someone who is committed to upholding the “Constitution of India, its values, principles and provisions in letter and spirit; someone committed to guaranteeing that all institutions of our democracy function without fear or favour; someone committed to protecting the rights of all our citizens and preserving the secular fabric of our diverse society; someone committed to speaking out boldly against the forces of prejudice, hatred, bigotry and polarisation; and someone committed to being a powerful force for furthering social justice and empowerment.”
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