SHILLONG: Presidential candidate Meira Kumar said on Wednesday that the opposition in the State, the United Democratic Party (UDP), has pledged to support her even as the party remained discreet on the matter.
During her campaign in Shillong, Kumar said, “One thing unique that has happened here in Meghalaya is that the ex-CM (Donkupar Roy), who is presently the Leader of the Opposition, has also announced that he is supporting me.”
She also asked other states to follow the example set by Meghalaya.
However, Roy had a different take on this. He said UDP would meet before the election on July 17 and decide on the matter.
Kumar is the Congress-backed opposition’s candidate against the NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind.
“We attended the meeting not because we have decided to support her but we were invited and it is not right to reject the invitation,” Roy said.
“It is wrong to say that we have pledged support to her,” he told reporters at his residence after attending Kumar’s address along with two other UDP legislators.
The UDP president, however, said he feels that voters should vote for a candidate who has better chances of winning. Kumar is lagging behind Kovind in numbers for the presidential race.
‘Battle of ideology’
But Kumar said the voice of people’s conscience carries more weightage than numbers in her battle for the country’s top constitutional post.
Addressing the legislators of Meghalaya at the Annexe Hall of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Kumar said this was the first time in the history of the country that the presidential election has been turned into a battle of ideology and lamented that an atmosphere has been created in the country that is threatening the social fabric and harmony.
Seventeen major national political parties in the country have decided to contest the presidential election based on their sacred ideology.
“The atmosphere is challenging. It is putting the communal harmony, social justice, transparency and all that we have stand for in danger,” she said and added that attempts are being made to communalise the atmosphere in the name of religion, food practise and way of life.
“They (Central Government) are trying to distance themselves and no action is on the ground,” she said.
Later, speaking to reporters, Kumar said attempts of polarising people will spell disaster for the country.
The Congress presidential candidate has already written to many stakeholders to support her candidature and listen to their inner voice of conscience.
Asked if the Modi wave would take over the Gandhian thought in the elections, she said the Gandhian thought has influenced people throughout the world and no one can replace it.
Absentees
The meeting was attended mostly by MLAs, including Congress, UDP and a few independents. NPP and HSPDP skipped the address. Among absentees were three Cabinet ministers – Roshan Warjri, Ampareen Lyngdoh and Prestone Tynsong, and the three MPs from the State.
She was accompanied by Congress senior leader and former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and AICC general secretary in-charge of North East C.P Joshi.
‘Sacred ideology’
Kumar said she is contesting the presidential election on the basis of sacred ideology which people of the country represents. She asked the legislators and MPs to act in the best interest of the country to make it more progressive for the future generations.
Abolish casteism
Kumar has advocated the idea to abolish caste system in the country.
Speaking to media persons after addressing the State MLAs on Wednesday, Kumar said there are so many differences in the name of religion and caste system.
“Casts system is entrenched since people believe in it and people should stop believing in caste system,” she said.
She also questioned how retrograde thinking like casteism should even come out in the open in a country like India that is poised for greater development and modernity.
