Pawar invites AIMIM to attend meet to discuss Presidential election

NCP chief Sharad Pawar invited AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi to attend a meeting to discuss the upcoming Presidential election and the latter deputed Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel to represent the party, the AIMIM said here on Monday.The meeting would be held on Tuesday, AIMIM sources said.NCP chief Sharad Pawar invited Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi for a meeting to discuss the upcoming presidential elections.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar invited AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi to attend a meeting to discuss the upcoming Presidential election and the latter deputed Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel to represent the party, the AIMIM said here on Monday.

The meeting would be held on Tuesday, AIMIM sources said.

''NCP chief Sharad Pawar invited Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi for a meeting to discuss the upcoming presidential elections. Mr Owaisi thanked Mr Pawar for the kind invitation and has deputed Aurangabad MP Mr Imtiaz jaleel to represent AIMIM in the meeting,'' AIMIM said in a release here.

The NCP, Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties held a meeting in New Delhi on June 15 to build a consensus on fielding a joint candidate against the NDA in the presidential election.

The leaders of several opposition parties had urged Pawar to be the joint opposition candidate for the presidential elections, but the veteran leader had declined the offer at the meeting convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

After Pawar had declined the offer, Banerjee later suggested the names of Farooq Abdullah and former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi as possible opposition candidates.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Monday declined the opposition leaders' request to contest the presidential election, while Abdullah had also declined the offer earlier.

The Presidential election is scheduled to be held on July 18. President Ram Nath Kovind's tenure ends on July 24.