Fatigued, defeated lot is active for Presidential election: Giriraj Singh

Union Agriculture Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday censured the Opposition parties for creating hurdles in the forthcoming election for the next President and said they are a lot of fatigued and defeated people.

The election for the next president of India is to be held on July 17 as President Pranab Mukherjee will demit the office on July 25. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued the notification in this regard and the process of the nomination has started that will continue till June 28.

Talking to ANI, Giriraj questioned the nationalism of the Opposition leaders who have become active for the President's election.

"This Opposition is only for the sake of opposition. Who are they? They are the same people who sometime meet with the Kashmiri separatists; who abuse Indian Army; someone goes to Pakistan and urges them to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi; someone extends support to the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. They are a lot of fatigued and defeated people," he added.

The Union Minister asserted that the need of the hour is to strengthen the country and "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a symbol of country's unity".

He maintained that a consensus candidate for the post of President would be announced soon.

"Whosoever is finalized after consultation with everyone would be the country's next President," said Singh.

Singh's statement came at a time when the Opposition parties are meeting at the Parliament House to chalk out their strategy for the country's coveted post.

Recently, Congress president Sonia Gandhi met various leaders from opposition parties to give a tough fight to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government's candidate for the post of President.

She has constituted a sub-group for the President's election, which includes: Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, TMC leader Derek O'Brien, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra, DMK leader R.S. Bharathi and NCP's Praful Patel.

Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also become active for the President's election. BJP President Amit Shah has constituted a three-member-panel- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu- to talk with the Opposition parties to finalise a consensus candidate for country's next President.

Earlier today, Naidu and Rajnath \briefed Prime Minister Modi about the conversation which they had with all the parties over the President election. Jaitley is out of the country.

According to the sources, the ruling NDA may declare its Presidential candidate on June 23 as Prime Minister Modi will be leaving for the U.S. tour on June 25.