Presidential Poll: will Yashwant Sinha be pitted against former BJP colleague Venkaiah Naidu?

Hours after he quit his latest political home, the Trinamool Congress, Yashwant Sinha, the former union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, was picked as the Opposition's joint candidate for the Presidential elections which are scheduled on July 18.

Sinha had "stepped aside" from TMC work for what he had called the larger national cause of greater Opposition unity on Twitter.
His move came amid speculation that his name will be pitched by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee as the joint opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections held on Tuesday. A joint statement issued after the meeting noted that unity of opposition parties forged for presidential poll will be further consolidated in months ahead.

Sinha could be pitted against his former colleague in the BJP.

ALSO WATCH: Yashwant Sinha quits TMC: Is he Opposition's new Presidential candidate?

Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday met Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu ahead of a crucial party meeting on the presidential elections, sparking buzz about Naidu being considered by the ruling combine for the top constitutional post.

Singh and Nadda have also been authorised by the party to speak to various parties, including those from the opposition, on the presidential poll.

The ruling NDA combine has over 48 per cent vote share in the electoral college to pick the new president, and its candidate has a clear advantage over the opposition.