“Eighteen parties have decided to field Gopalkrishna Gandhi as their vice presidential candidate,” Sonia Gandhi said. “Eighteen parties have decided to field Gopalkrishna Gandhi as their vice presidential candidate,” Sonia Gandhi said.

The Opposition on Tuesday picked former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi as its candidate for Vice-Presidential election. The decision to pick Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson came after leaders from 18 Opposition parties met on Tuesday. Gandhi’s was the only name that was reportedly discussed in the meeting that took place in Parliament House.

After the meeting, Congress President Sonia Gandhi told reporters that all the parties unanimously decided to raise Gandhi’s name for the candidature. The Congress President said, “Eighteen parties have decided to field Gopalkrishna Gandhi as their vice presidential candidate.”

“We have spoken to Gopalkrishna Gandhi. He has agreed to be the opposition’s candidate for vice president,” she further added.

The JD(U), which had broken ranks with the opposition over the presidential poll, also attended the meeting. While Sharad Yadav represented the JD(U), other leaders at the meeting included Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, TMC’s Derek O’ Brien, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, NC’s Omar Abdullah, SP’s Naresh Agarwal and BSP’s Satish Chandra Mishra. Polling for the vice president’s post will take place on August 5 if required. The votes will be counted the same evening.

The BJP-led NDA, which had taken the lead in announcing the Presidential candidate in Ram Nath Kovind, has not yet announced who it chooses to nominate for Vice-President.

(With inputs from PTI)

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