Who will emerge as the Opposition’s consensus Presidential candidate? All eyes on Mamata Banerjee’s big meet

Major Opposition parties will meet in the capital today to decide on a consensus candidate for the presidential election. The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Constitution Club. The Opposition camp witnessed a flurry of meetings on TuesdayThe meeting, called by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, will be attended by almost all political parties including Congress, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, JDS, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, RJD, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Left parties.Last week, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee wrote to 22 opposition leaders and chief ministers requesting them to attend the meeting on June 15 at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. Non-BJP parties, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, have been requested to attend the meeting.

Sharad Pawar pulls out of presidential raceSharad Pawar has pulled out of the presidential race, confirmed his party on Tuesday. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief appeared to be one of the prospective candidates for the presidential election. The veteran leader, however, turned down Mamata Banerjee’s offer and said he wants to remain in active politics. However, Pawar has been contemplating ways to reach out to fence sitters.

Congress to attend the all-crucial meetThe Congress, despite its reservations over Banerjee unilaterally convening the meeting, has decided to send its representatives. Congress sources said Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala are likely to attend the meeting. An attempt to forge unityThe Left Front mellowed its stand and decided to attend today’s meet. CPI-M will be represented by Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued a press release Tuesday evening confirming that it will be represented by Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem at Wednesday’s meeting.Will Naveen Patnaik be present?Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) led by CM K Chandrashekar Rao are unlikely to attend the opposition meeting on Tuesday.