The united Opposition also appealed to the BJP and its allies to support Yashwant Sinha so that India can have a “worthy Rashtrapati elected unopposed”.
New Delhi: Moments after quitting Trinamool Congress for “greater opposition unity”, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha was announced as the official candidate of the united Opposition for the upcoming Presidential election.
Reading out from ta joint communique, Congress’s newly-inducted communication chief Jairam Ramesh said, “In the forthcoming Presidential elections, we have decided to elect a common candidate and stop the Modi government from doing further damage. At a subsequent meeting held today we have chosen Yashwant Sinha as a common candidate. We appeal to all political parties to vote for Yashwant Sinha.”
The united Opposition also appealed to the BJP and its allies to support Yashwant Sinha so that India can have a “worthy Rashtrapati elected unopposed”.
Earlier in the day, hinting that he has accepted to become the Presidential candidate of a section of Opposition parties, Yashwant Sinha had tweeted that he is quitting the Trinamool Congress for “greater opposition unity”.
“I am grateful to Mamataji for the honour and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step,” Sinha said in a tweet.
While the Trinamool Congress had proposed Yashwant Sinha’s name as the presidential candidate, the others, mainly Left parties and the Congress, insisted he quit the TMC so that he is a more acceptable candidate.
Yashwant Sinha had quit the BJP in 2018 and had joined the TMC in 2021 and was appointed as the party’s vice-president.
