The opposition parties in the country are making unfruitful attempts to challenge the ruling BJP-led NDA in the 2022 Presidential election. Though the BJP had not yet named its candidate, the ruling combine is confident of its victory with 49 per cent votes on its hand.

The BJP-led NDA is running short of 2.5 per cent votes to win, it has about 7 per cent votes guaranteed by the non-allies. The YSR Congress from Andhra Pradesh with 4.22 per cent votes and the Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal with 2.94 per cent votes have promised to support the NDA nominee from outside. This would make 58.83 per cent, which gives a comfortable victory for the BJP nominee.

On the contrary the Congress-led UPA has 24.02 per cent votes, standing too far from the victory. West Bengal chief minister Mamatha Benerji has 5.44 per cent votes and the Left parties have another 2.68 per cent votes. The Aam Admi Party from Delhi and Punjab has 2.02 per cent votes. All these votes put together account to 34.16 per cent vote and running short of 16.84 per cent votes.

The efforts of Mamatha Benerji to have an opposition candidate failed at the birth itself as APP and the TRS have refused to be part of the alliance. In addition to the parties refusing to be part of the opposition alliance, the candidates proposed by Mamatha and others are also refusing to contest the Presidential election.

It was Nationalist Congress chief Sharad Pawar who opted out of the contest for the Presidential election first. Later, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah too opted out of the race. The only hope of the opposition, Gopala Krishna Gandhi, too had on Monday declined to be the opposition candidate.

With the parties not willing to be part of the alliance and the candidates unwilling to contest, the Opposition remains empty handed. It has neither the parties to join or the candidates to contest in the election, forcing them to be out of the race.