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Yashwant Sinha, the joint opposition candidate for the presidential election to be held next month, has called top BJP leader LK Advani, PM Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and sought support. Sinha, 84, has been the Union Finance and External Affairs Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
The NDA has fielded Draupadi Murmu as its candidate for the presidential election to be held on July 18. Murmu filed his nomination on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders. Murmu also has the support of many non-NDA parties, so his victory is considered certain. Meanwhile, the common opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha is also in the fray. They are in constant contact with the leaders for their support.
Yashwant Sinha contacted PM Modi and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh over phone on Friday. He urged both the leaders to support their candidature, according to PTI. He also called BJP veteran and top leader LK Advani and sought blessings. Advani was the Deputy Prime Minister in the Atal government and Sinha was the Union Minister. He left the party after being in the BJP for a long time. In Modi Sarkar-1, his son Jayant Sinha was the Minister of State for Finance. Jayant Sinha is still a BJP MP. Recently, he has clarified that he will choose the party candidate instead of his father in the presidential election.
Promise reminded CM Soren, campaign postponed
Sinha also called up Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. Sinha reminded him that his party JMM had declared support for the common opposition candidate. Sinha was supposed to launch the campaign from Jharkhand on Friday, but now the JMM has also supported Santhal tribal leader Draupadi Murm, so he deferred it. Sinha is due to file his nomination on Monday, June 27. Veteran leaders of the opposition are likely to be present on this occasion.
Murmu seeks support from Sonia, Pawar, Mamta
Before Sinha, NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu sought support from Congress President Sonia Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee. Voting for the presidential election will be held on July 18 and results on July 21 as per the schedule fixed by the Election Commission. The term of current President Ram Nath Kovind is ending on July 24.