May Take 'Independent' Stand In Voting For Presidential Polls: Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena, BJP ally at the Centre and in Maharashtra, today indicated it may not support the NDA candidate during voting in the Presidential election. The party, which had floated the name of Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, for President, said it would continue to press for his candidature. Mr Bhagwat has alrea...

Congress president Sonia Gandhi wished DMK chief M Karunanidhi good health and long life ahead of his 94th birthday on Saturday.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has stuck to his position that if NCP chief Sharad Pawar was keen on contesting the presidential election, he should join the National Democratic Alliance.

BJP president Amit Shah today said his party would consult opposition parties, which have been working to forge unity over a joint presidential candidate, before deciding on the ruling alliance's pick for the top constitutional post. He, however, evaded a question on whether the BJP would seek to build a consensus with the opposition.

The Election Commission today cancelled elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats scheduled to be held on June 8, citing a clash with the presidential poll due in July and the EVM challenge beginning on June 3.

DMK working president MK Stalin refuted speculation that non-NDA parties will discuss strategies for the upcoming Presidential election at a function commemorating DMK chief M Karunanidhi's 75 years in electoral politics in Chennai next week. The diamond jubilee celebrations will also coincide with the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's 94th birthday on June 3.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said opposition parties were in the process of zeroing in on a joint candidate for the upcoming presidential poll, and Gopal Krishna Gandhi was among the probable choices.

The BJP's national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya today described the Congress' effort to forge opposition unity for presidential poll as a "fight for political existence".

Opposition parties, after holding discussions in the past few days, appear to have considered a few names, including former Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Speaker Meira Kumar, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and JD-U leader Sharad Yadav, to pick a common candidate for the upcoming Presidential election.

For the thrice-banned RSS, it will be the ultimate validation when one of their own occupies Rashtrapati Bhavan, a point of immense satisfaction that will follow the appointment of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

As the Congress takes the lead to mobilise consensus over an opposition candidate for the next presidential election in July, a grand birthday bash next month to celebrate DMK chief M Karunanidhi's 94th birthday in Chennai could give the opposition leaders an opportunity to sit across the table to shape up their strategy for the July election, and beyond.

While the Congress attempts to bring opposition parties together in what it is pegging as a battle of ideologies, party sources also said that it will have an "open mind" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi consults it for a consensus candidate acceptable to all parties for the next President of India. The Congress is also open, the sources said, to supporting a second te...

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi to discuss a joint opposition candidate for the coming presidential election.