Hard-won consensus

Several Opposition parties resisted the idea of a joint Opposition candidate for the presidential polls. The resistance stemmed from suggestions that the common candidate could be a Congress leader. The name of former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar was put forth by the Congress. However, parties such as the Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam didn’t want to support a Congress candidate. The two parties came on board only after the name of Gopalkrishna Gandhi (pictured), a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and former governor of West Bengal, was suggested.