Presidential Election 2022 Latest Update: The election to select the next President of India will be held on July 18 and the result will be declared on July 21, the Election Commission has announced. With the ruling party and the opposition members failing to find a consensus on the Presidential candidates, the confusion continues to prevail as to who will become the next President of India.
At this crucial time, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar earlier in the day declined to be the joint opposition candidate for the Presidential elections at a meeting called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi. Mamata Banerjee, at the meeting, then proposed the names of National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi as nominees for the July elections. However, Farooq Abdullah’s son Omar Abdullah asked not to discuss the names for the Presidential polls today. A second meeting of the opposition parties will be convened by Sharad Pawar on June 20 or 21.
The BJP might not re-nominate Ram Nath Kovind for the second term. Rajendra Prasad was the only President to get two full terms as president. Both opposition and ruling party have not been able to name their candidates yet. However, here’s is a list of probable candidates for the Presidential race.
List of probable candidates:
- Mamata Banerjee has proposed the name of former West Bengal Governor and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, to be a joint Opposition candidate. He is also the Left’s suggestion.
- On the other hand, the NDA probables may include Kerala Governor Mohammad Arif Khan, former Jharkhand Governor and tribal leader from Odisha Draupadi Murmu, Chhattisgarh Governor and tribal leader Anusuiya Uikey, Telangana Governor Tamilsai Soundararajan, Karnataka Governor and Dalit leader Thawar Chand Gehlot, former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, and Odisha’s tribal leader Jual Oram.
- The name of TMC leader Yashwant Sinha is also being talked about.
How is the President of India elected?
The President of India is selected by the elected members of both Houses of Parliament, and elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all states and the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry. For the selection process, it is mandatory for 50 MPs to propose the candidate, followed by another 50 seconding the candidature.
The election for the President is generally held by secret ballot and a single transferable vote is used per the system of proportional representation.
