NEW DELHI: Gopal Krishna Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and former Governor of West Bengal, has turned down the opposition's offer to be the presidential candidate. Although the opposition parties approached him asking him to be the joint candidate for the presidential election, Gandhi refused to join the presidential race. Gandhi made the announcement in a press release. Earlier, NCP president Sharad Pawar and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah had said they would not run for the president.

It was West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who first proposed Gopalkrishna Gandhi's name. Meanwhile, there are indications that parties including Biju Janata Dal and TRS were not interested in having him as a presidential candidate.