Too premature to comment on it: Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Presidential candidate buzz

New Delhi, June 15

With his name doing the rounds as a possible choice for the Opposition’s candidate for presidential polls, former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Wednesday said it is “too premature” to comment on the matter.

Gandhi was the consensus opposition candidate for the post of Vice President of India in 2017 but had lost to M Venkaiah Naidu in the election.

Sources said some Opposition leaders talked to Gandhi over the phone and urged him to consider their request for being the joint opposition candidate for the post of President.

Asked about his name doing the rounds as a possible choice for the Opposition’s candidate for presidential polls, Gandhi told PTI, “It is too premature to comment on it.” According to sources, Gandhi, who was governor of West Bengal from 2004 to 2009, has sought some time from these leaders to respond to their request.

The 77-year-old former bureaucrat has also served as India’s High Commissioner to South Africa and Sri Lanka. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalachari.

Also on Wednesday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with various opposition parties to deliberate on the opposition’s choice of a presidential nominee.

Some leaders had proposed the name of NCP patron Sharad Pawar, but the veteran leader has declined to contest.

The election to elect a successor to incumbent Ram Nath Kovind would be held on July 18. Kovind had defeated joint opposition nominee Meira Kumar in the last presidential polls.