Rajnath Singh Addresses Odisha CM, Mamata Banerjee and Other Opposition Leaders Ahead of Presidential Election
Rajnath Singh Addresses Odisha CM, Mamata Banerjee and Other Opposition Leaders Ahead of Presidential Election
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New Delhi: Rajnath Singh, the Union Defence Minister, met with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and other Opposition leaders on Wednesday to discuss the Presidential elections.
Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress and Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party were among the other figures Singh spoke with. Singh also spoke with Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar.
The BJD did not attend a meeting of opposition parties organised by Banerjee on Wednesday to reach an agreement on fielding a joint candidate against the NDA in the presidential elections.
The summit in New Delhi drew leaders from 17 different political parties.
According to a BJD senior who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Naveen opted to skip the meeting after considering "all aspects and keeping the interest of Odisha at the forefront."
Despite its equidistant stance, the BJD backed BJP Presidential contender Ram Nath Kovind in 2017, sparking speculation about a secret agreement between the two parties in the state. According to party sources, it is likely to go with an NDA-backed candidate once more.
