Top opposition leaders attend Sonia luncheon over presidential candidate

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) Leaders of 17 opposition parties on Friday attended a luncheon meet convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Parliament House as part of efforts to find a consensus candidate for the presidential election.

The lunch was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav along with his party leaders Naresh Aggarwal and Ramgopal Yadav.

Other leaders who attended included Kanimozhi (DMK), D. Raja (CPI), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) and Omar Abdullah (National Conference).

Representatives of JD(S), Kerala Congress, AIUDF, IUML, RSP and JMM were also present.

Senior Congress leaders, including party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjuna Kharge, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad attended the meet.