The Aam Aadmi Party announced today that it will back joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the July 18 presidential election. The announcement was made by Sanjay Singh, the Rajya Sabha MP of the Aam Aadmi Party.
"We have respect for (NDA candidate) Draupadi Murmu but we will support Yashwant Sinhaji," he said after a political advisory committee (PAC) meeting of the party. The AAP is the only non-BJP, non-Congress party having governments in two states -- Delhi and Punjab.
It has 10 Rajya Sabha MPs from the two states including three from Delhi.
Also, the party has a total 156 MLAs including 92 in Punjab, 62 in Delhi and two in Goa.
Mr Sinha emerged as the consensus presidential candidate of opposition parties, including the Congress, after NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah opted out of the race.
He is contesting against Droupadi Murmu, the candidate chosen by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Voting for the Presidential poll will take place on Monday and the counting of votes will take place on July 21.
After getting the support of some regional parties like BJD, YSR Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party, Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiv Sena, the vote share of Ms Murmu has already crossed 60 per cent. It was around 50 per cent at the time of her nomination.
Ms Murmu, 64, if elected, will be the first tribal woman to become the President of India.
With inputs from PTI
