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New Delhi, June 1: While the Congress-led Opposition is yet to reach to a consensus on a common candidate for the presidential election 2017, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is mulling nominating a Dalit candidate for the post of the President of India. If the BJP decides to nominate a Dalit or backward leader, Jharkhand governor Draupadi Murmu and Union social justice minister Thawar Chand Gehlot may get chance to hold the country’s second most coveted job. President Pranab Mukherjee’s term as President of India will end in July.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has asked the BJP, in a recent meeting, to consider the names of dalit or tribal leaders for the President of India’s post, reported the Deccan Chronicle. Jharkhand governor Draupadi Murmu could be the BJP-led NDA candidate in the presidential election. According to Sangh Parivar and BJP, as Draupadi Murmu is a woman and a dalit tribal leader, the Opposition might not be in position to oppose her. With Murmu on board, BJP can get support of the Biju Janata Dal as she was a minister of state with independent charge for commerce and transport during the BJP-BJD coalition government in the state. (ALSO READ: Opposition to back Pranab Mukherjee if he gets second term as President of India)
Another name that is doing the rounds is of Thawar Chand Gehlot. Gehlot is a member of the Rajya Sabha representing the state of Madhya Pradesh. He formerly represented Shajapur in the lower house of the Parliament, Lok Sabha from 1996 to 2009. He currently hold the General Secretary’s post in the BJP.
Both the BJP and RSS want an NDA nominee to become the next President of India. On the other hand, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi reached out to leaders of the Opposition parties to evolve consensus, but no decision has been taken on the common candidate. Leaders of 17 opposition parties recently attended a luncheon meet convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Parliament House as part of efforts to find a consensus candidate for the presidential election.
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