New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Margaret Alva was on Sunday announced as the opposition’s Vice Presidential candidate.
The name of Alva, who has also been Governor of Uttarakhand, Goa and Rajasthan, and hails from Karnataka, was decided after opposition parties met at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence.
Announcing the decision, Pawar said that 17 Opposition parties have unanimously decided on Margaret Alva’s name.
Alva, a five-term Member of Parliament, also served as a minister at the Centre.
The opposition leaders’ meeting was attended by Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha; DMK’s TR Baalu; Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut; CPI leader D Raja; CPI leader Binoy Viswam; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko; TRS member Keshav Rao; Samajwadi Party leader Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav; CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury; IUML member ET Mohammed Basheer; and RJD’s Amarendra Dhari Singh.
However, no one was present in the meeting from the Trinamool Congress which is the second largest opposition party in the Rajya Sabha. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also did not attend the meeting.
On Saturday, the BJP had announced West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as the NDA’s vice-presidential candidate.