Gopalkrishna is opposition’s pick for vice-president
The grandson of the Father of the Nation has been an envoy to South Africa and Sri Lanka
Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was named the opposition candidate for the post of vice-president by the Congress and 17 other parties, including the Janata Dal (United) (JD-U), which is backing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Presidential elections, yesterday.
Setting the stage for a contest with BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is expected to announce its nominee soon, Congress President Sonia Gandhi announced the candidature of Gandhi, a former Indian envoy to South Africa and Sri Lanka, at a meeting of the opposition parties here at Parliament Library Building chaired by her.
“Gopalkrishna Gandhi is the opposition candidate for the vice-presidential election. We have spoken to him and he has agreed to be the opposition candidate,” she said, with JD-U leader Sharad Yadav seated on her left. The JD-U had broken ranks with the opposition and chosen to back Ram Nath Kovind, the NDA candidate, in the Presidential election.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s name was proposed at the meeting by the Trinamool Congress and backed by all the parties present. No other name was discussed, opposition leaders said.
Elections for the vicepresident’s office begins on August 5. The name of Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who belonged to the Indian Administrative Service, did the rounds as the opposition candidate in the Presidential elections, too.
Dalit candidate
But the BJP’s choice of Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit candidate, forced the Congress-led group to pick ex-Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, also a Dalit.
The last date for filing a nomination for the office of the vicepresident is July 18. Scrutiny of the papers will take place on July 19. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is July 21.
Hamid Ansari has been the vice-president and ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha since August 11, 2007. He won a second term on August 11, 2012. His term ends on August 10.