The Opposition parties on Thursday declared the name of former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar as their Presidential candidate NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind. The former Lok Sabha speaker had recently met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, fueling the debate that Sonia was willing to support her candidature.
The decision was taken after Opposition parties met in the national capital on Thursday to pick their candidate.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Sharad Pawar (NCP), Sitaram Yechury from CPI(M), D Raja (CPI), Darek O’ Brien (TMC), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Satish Chandra Mishra (BSP), Omar Abdullah (NC), Kanimozhi (DMK) and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge were among those who attended the meet.
Dalit leader Meira Kumar was one of the the shortlisted names ahead of the meeting.
After a meeting of 17 opposition parties, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said Meira Kumar’s name was selected unanimously by one and all. He said there could not have been a better candidate for the top constitutional post.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who chaired the meeting, said she appeals to all secular parties – if there are any left – to support Meira Kumar.
“I am not upset with anyone,” Gandhi said.
RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav said he will meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and ask him to reconsider his decision on supporting NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind.
“It will be a historical mistake if Nitish does not rethink about his decision. I will meet and appeal him,” Lalu said adding that only Nitish knows whether he has cheated us or not.
The Bahujan Samaj Party has also decided to support Meira Kumar.
JD(U) opted out of the opposition meet after deciding to back Ram Nath Kovind. A JD(U) leader said its move backing Kovind was a ‘one- time, isolated case’, maintaining that opposition unity was intact on other issues. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is the JD(U) president, praised Kovind’s tenure as the governor of Bihar on Monday soon after BJP chief Amit Shah named him as the ruling group’s presidential pick.
Non- NDA party, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi has backed Kovind for President. A former NDA ally, Biju Janata Dal has also backed Kovind’s candidature.
The Opposition was quick to communicate its disapproval of Kovind’s candidature, saying they were not taken on board. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that there were better and more known Dalit leaders than Ram Nath Kovind.
The Opposition parties were jolted by the decision of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after he decided to back the National Democratic Alliance’s candidate on Wednesday.
