Who Is Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's Grandson In Fray For Presidential Poll Nomination?

After NCP Sharad Pawar, the name of Mahatma Gandhi's grandson as emerged as one of the potential nominees바카라 웹사이트for becoming the next President of India. The Election Commission of India has scheduled the date for the 16th Presidential election as July 18 and the counting of votes would be held on July 21, if needed. A total of 4,809 electors comprising MPs and MLAs will vote to elect Ram Nath Kovind's successor. Kovind라이브 바카라 tenure will be ending on July 24 following which the new President will be sworn in on July 25.바카라 웹사이트

In the Opposition meeting held on June 15 ahead of the Presidential polls, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee suggested the name of바카라 웹사이트Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the grandson of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,바카라 웹사이트along with the name of former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah.바카라 웹사이트

Who is Gopalkrishna Gandhi?

77-year-old Gopal Krishna Gandhi is a former bureaucrat who has served an illustrious career as a diplomat and held several administrative positions. He has바카라 웹사이트previously served as India's High Commissioner to South Africa and Sri Lanka. He has also served as the 23rd Governor of West Bengal serving from 2004 to 2009.바카라 웹사이트

A former IAS officer, Gandhi has served as the바카라 웹사이트Secretary to the former President of India (1987-92) and before that as the바카라 웹사이트Secretary to Vice President of India바카라 웹사이트(1985–1987).바카라 웹사이트A prominent Tamil scholar, Gandhi was elected as the바카라 웹사이트Chairman of바카라 웹사이트Kalakshetra Foundation바카라 웹사이트in Chennai in바카라 웹사이트2011, a position he held till 2014.바카라 웹사이트He is also credited with바카라 웹사이트translating the바카라 웹사이트Tamil classic, the바카라 웹사이트Tirukkural, into English, in 2015. He was also the chairman of the governing body of바카라 웹사이트Indian Institute of Advanced Study바카라 웹사이트and President of its society from바카라 웹사이트2012 to 2014. At present, he is a Professor of History and Politics at Ashoka University.

He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalachari on his mother's side. Previously, Gandhi stoked controversy when he criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a "department of dirty tricks". While delivering the바카라 웹사이트15th D P Kohli Memorial Lecture for CBI on "Eclipse at Noon: Shadows Over India's Conscience" which was heard live by nearly 3,000 officers of the agency in the audience, Gandhi noted that "The CBI is seen as the government's hatchet, rather than honesty's ally".바카라 웹사이트

He was also a critic of the capital punishment meted out to the 1993 Mumbai serial blast convict Yakub Memon. In 2015, he famously wrote a letter to the President of India,바카라 웹사이트Pranab Mukherjee, to reconsider the rejection of the mercy plea of the바카라 웹사이트1993 Mumbai serial blast바카라 웹사이트convict,바카라 웹사이트Yakub Memon.

What did Gandhi say about his nomination?

This is not the first time Gandhi's name has emerged for President or Vice President. In 2017,바카라 웹사이트Gandhi was the consensus opposition candidate for the post of Vice President of India. He바카라 웹사이트lost the polls바카라 웹사이트to M Venkaiah Naidu.바카라 웹사이트

Sources said some Opposition leaders talked to Gandhi over the phone and urged him to consider their request for being the joint opposition candidate for the post of President.

Asked about his name doing the rounds as a possible choice for the Opposition's candidate for presidential polls, Gandhi told바카라 웹사이트PTI, "It is too premature to comment on it."

According to sources, Gandhi바카라 웹사이트has sought some time from these leaders to respond to their request.

(With inputs from PTI)