Will consult Oppn before decision: BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday said that his party would consult opposition parties, which have been working to forge unity over a joint presidential candidate, before deciding on the ruling alliance's pick for the top constitutional post. He, however, parried a query on whether the BJP would seek to build a consensus with the opposition.

"Consensus is a word that it is used in several ways. But we will hold discussions with everybody, including opposition parties," he asserted. Parties like the Congress,

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and the Left have spoken about fielding a "secular" Opposition candidate if the BJP-led NDA picks a nominee with Hindutva leanings.

Shah declined to speak about the likely names from the NDA for the president's post, claiming that they have not decided on anyone yet. "We have not decided on any name yet. We will first talk to our NDA allies. Then we will talk to opposition parties," he said. The electoral college for the presidential polls has a total of 11,04,546 votes, with the BJP-led NDA's tally currently standing at about 5.38 lakh votes.

The NDA crossed the majority mark in the electoral college after the YSRCP, the Andhra Pradesh party headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy, announced his outfit's support for the ruling combine and the TRS, which is in power in Telangana, indicated that it will follow suit.