Opposition leaders call for joint Prez candidate, common minimum programme

The emphatic win of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has led to much churn among Opposition parties, awakening them to the need for unity and even be willing to shed long held ideological positions in a spirit of accommodation.

This was evident today as prominent Opposition leaders met to advocate "unity of progressive forces" to "fight the challenge to the democratic and secular character of the Constitution by the Sangh Parivar."

Leaders like Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury said fielding a common presidential candidate would be the acid test of Opposition unity. The Communists have had deep ideological differences