NEW DELHI: The opposition on Sunday declared former Union minister and veteran Congress leader Margaret Alva as its candidate for vice-presidential election.
The decision was announced by NCP chief Sharad Pawar after an all-party meet by the opposition parties in New Delhi.
“17 parties are on board for this unanimous decision. Our collective thinking is Alva will file the VP nomination on Tuesday,” Pawar said.
Alva, 80, would file her nomination papers on Tuesday, July 19 which is the last date for filing nominations for the August 6 election.
“We are trying to contact Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal. Last time they supported our joint presidential candidate,” Pawar said.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut after the announcement said that all the opposition parties are together in this election.
Among the attendees were Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja and Binoy Viswam, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, DMK’s T R Baalu and Tiruchi Siva, SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav, MDMK’s Vaiko and TRS’ K Keshava Rao.
The RJD’s A D Singh, IMUL’s E T Mohammed Basheer and Kerala Congress (M)’s Jose K. Mani were also present.

Earlier on Saturday, NDA announced West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as it’s vice-presidential candidate.
BJP president JP Nadda announced Dhankhar as the party’s and NDA’s candidate for the August 6 vice-presidential elections after the party’s parliamentary board endorsed the 71-year-old Jat leader from Rajasthan.