Presidential election: Yashwant Sinha files papers, says fighting to save democracy

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 27

Joint Opposition candidate for the July 18 Presidential election Yashwant Sinha on Monday filed his nomination papers backed by 17 parties, barring the JMM, JDS, AAP and BSP, and said the “unity shown by non BJP outfits in fielding a common candidate was not going to stop here and would outlast the current process”.

Will reach out to old colleagues

I will continue to reach out to all my former BJP and NDA colleagues for support. I had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and left a message but did not hear back. I also dialled Rajnath Singh ji. Yashwant Sinha, Joint Oppn Presidential candidate

“The July 18 election is not a battle of identities. It is a battle of ideologies, a battle to save democracy and most Opposition parties have come together to wage this battle. It is not going to stop here. They will remain together and carry the fight forward,” said Sinha.

He earlier filed his papers with Rajya Sabha secretary general PC Mody, the returning officer, accompanied by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi; NCP leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel; National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah; TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, CPM's Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja; RSP's NK Premchandran; CPIML's Deepankar Bhattacharya; SP chief Akhilesh Yadav; RJD's Misa Bharti; RLD's Jayant Choudhary; DMK's Tiruchi Siva and IUML's Mohammad Bashir.

The TRS and the AIMIM declared their support to Sinha, with Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao and AIMIM chief Asadudin Owaisi making the relevant announcements.

The former BJP stalwart, who was minister in the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, said he spoke to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who would announce a decision later. On JMM and JDS missing today, Sinha said he was hopeful of their support since both attended the June 21 Opposition meeting that endorsed his candidature unanimously.

Speaking to reporters, Sinha said he was the fourth candidate to win the Opposition consensus for the presidential race. “This is a mighty battle. I am most willing to play my role in this fight, no matter how small that role is. In this fight to save democracy, nothing else matters. It does not count who my opponent is or whether the numbers are stacked against me.”

Asked about a tribal opponent, Sinha said NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu was not the first tribal to fight the presidential election.

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