Presidential polls: Opposition's Yashwant Sinha files nomination, gets last-minute support from KCR

Yashwant Sinha, the joint Opposition presidential candidate, filed his nomination papers for the 18 July election today. He handed over four sets of nomination papers to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody, who is the returning officer for the presidential election. Top opposition leaders including NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, DMK’s A Raja and NC leader Farooq Abdullah were present when Sinha submitted his nomination papers. Yashwant Sinha was named as the common opposition candidate for the presidential election on 21 June. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference party’s Farooq Abdullah, RLD’s Jayant Sinha, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, DMK’s A Raja, CPI’s D Raja, and Telangana Minister and TRS leader KT Rama Rao were among the opposition leaders present at the Parliament when the 84-year-old former Union minister Yashwant Sinha filed his nomination. Mere hours ahead of Sinha’s nomination filing, K Chandrashekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) announced its support to him. There were however no leader from two prominent opposition parties – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Two non-BJP parties – Mayawati’s BSP and Naveen Patnaik’s BJD – have backed BJP-led NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu for the presidential election. If elected, Droupadi Murmu will become the country’s second woman President and India’s first tribal to lead the top most Constitutional post. She had filed her nomination papers last week. After filing the nomination papers, Sinha paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar at their statues inside Parliament complex. Sinha is likely to launch his campaign from 28 June from Chennai in Tamil Nadu and will cover the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka as well during his first round of campaigning. The last date for filing nominations is 29 June. The result of the Presidential polls 2022 will be declared on 21 July. 21. The term of President Ram Nath Kovind will end on 24 July. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.