Ram Nath Kovind meets Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar: NDA Presidential Candidate #RamNathKovnid reaches the residence of J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti. pic.twitter.com/UIxTImofPR
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 28, 2017
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday has called its MPs and MLAs to Delhi for the signing of nomination papers in the presidential election
Meira Kumar to pick up 'ideological fight' from 30 June in Gujarat
Meira Kumar is likely to launch her campaign from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad in Gujarat after her nomination papers are cleared on Thursday.
"I feel I should start my election campaign from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. I will start from there," said Kumar briefing media in New Delhi, a day ahead of filing her nomination papers.
Asked why Sabarmati, Kumar said, "Everybody knows the significance of Sabarmati in our country. The 'sant' of Sabarmati (Mahatma Gandhi) played an important role in the freedom movement of our country. That's why I am going there."
Congress slams Sushma Swaraj for attacking its presidential nominee
Congress party criticised External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for targeting the Opposition's presidential nominee Meira Kumar. The Opposition leaders said that Kumar is a credible person, and that is a well known fact. Congress leader Tom Vadakkan said that Swaraj, while holding a responsible office, should refrain from making such comments, Deccan Chronicle reported.
The External Affairs Minister on Sunday posted a video of former Kumar, who was the former Lok Sabha speaker, on Twitter which she , "This is how Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar treated the Leader of Opposition." Vadakkan's reponse came in light of the aforementioned tweet.
Who is Meira Kumar?
Kumar entered electoral politics in 1985, when she joined Congress. Read more about the Opposition presidential candidate here
Ram Nath Kovind's selection as NDA candidate is to deepen the Hindutva agenda
If there is an impression that Kovind is selected only to bring Dalits under the BJP fold, it would be far from reality. In fact, Kovind’s selection as the NDA’s presidential candidate is driven by an objective of deepening the Hindutva into those social segments which were inaccessible to the ideologues of Sangh Parivar. Kovind’s selection is certainly a part of a larger political project of consolidating the Hindu identity. Full analysis here.
Someone of the stature of Pranab Mukherjee or even Sushma Swaraj should have been nominee: Mamata Banerjee
Expressing her party's reservation about the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee said that, "The office of President is a key post. Someone of the stature of Pranab Mukherjee or even Sushma Swaraj or (L K) Advaniji may have been made the candidate." Read more here.
Narendra Modi-Amit Shah masterstroke stumps Opposition
By announcing Kovind's name as NDA presidential candidate, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have yet again reminded that they are a master of surprises, expect the unexpected from them. They have proved that all the media speculations and the so called "informed" private talks among the senior leads and ministers to be wrong after Kovind's name was nowhere on the radar when speculations were rife. Read more here.
Ram Nath Kovind meets Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar: NDA Presidential Candidate #RamNathKovnid reaches the residence of J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti. pic.twitter.com/UIxTImofPR
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 28, 2017
Meira Kumar files nomination even as numbers stack up against her
Even as Meira Kumar's candidature was approved by 17 opposition political parties, the numbers are clearly in favour of Ram Nath Kovind.
A total of 4,120 MLAs and 776 MPs would cast their votes in the presidential election on 17 July. Kovind fielded by the NDA is expected to garner almost 60 percent of votes with the help of support extended by several non-NDA parties such as JD(U), BJD, and both factions of AIADMK.
JD(U) asserts Presidential polls one off incident, Opposition unity stands strong
Our alliance in Bihar is strong, different views over #PresidentialPoll has nothing to do with the alliance or Govt: KC Tyagi,JDU pic.twitter.com/429bmXaqkn
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 28, 2017
Meanwhile... Oppn denies cracks over presidential poll candidate
Presidential poll candidate has become a bone of contention between JD(U) and the rest of the opposition parties. While JD(U) declared its support for NDA's Ram Nath Kovind for being Bihar's former governor, Congress fielded Meira Kumar, another Dalit and daughter of prominent leader from the state Jagjivan Ram.
However, Nitish's decision to stand by Kovind has started rumours that the Opposition unity may not be as strong as the Congress would like to portray.
She represents the values that binds us as a nation: Rahul Gandhi on Meira Kumar
Congress' Rahul Gandhi @OfficeOfRG says proud of Opposition Presidential candidate Meira Kumar @meira_kumar #MeiraKumar4President pic.twitter.com/1U2HNgj7FM
— Kerala PCC (@INCKerala) June 28, 2017
Meira Kumar to pick up 'ideological fight' from 30 June in Gujarat
Meira Kumar is likely to launch her campaign from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad in Gujarat after her nomination papers are cleared on Thursday.
"I feel I should start my election campaign from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. I will start from there," said Kumar briefing media in New Delhi, a day ahead of filing her nomination papers.
Asked why Sabarmati, Kumar said, "Everybody knows the significance of Sabarmati in our country. The 'sant' of Sabarmati (Mahatma Gandhi) played an important role in the freedom movement of our country. That's why I am going there."
Who is Meira Kumar, Oppn presidential nominee
Meira Kumar entered electoral politics in 1985 when she joined Congress and is a five-time Lok Sabha MP. Kumar, the daughter of prominent Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram, has beaten powerful Dalit leaders like Ram Vilas Paswan and Mayawati to win in Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. She is also the first woman to become the Lok Sabha Speaker. Read more about her family background and political career here.
Ram Nath Kovind finishes nomination procedures on last day of filing papers
BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu filed fourth set of nomination papers on behalf of Kovind to conclude the nomination formalities for the NDA's presidential pick. The Presidential elections, slated for 17 July, will see a race between Opposition's Meira Kumar and Kovind, who has a decided advantage given to the strength of the ruling party in the House.
Union minister Venkaiah Naidu files fourth set of nomination papers on behalf of NDA presidential candidate #RamNathKovind.
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 28, 2017
Opposition leaders, sans JDU, attend Meira Kumar's nomination
In yet another bid to underscore Opposition's unity, leaders from various political parties flanked Kumar as she reached Parliament House to file her nomination papers. From Congress President Sonia Gandhi, to All India Trinamool Congress' Derek O' Brian, prominent leaders from several opposition parties made appearances alongside Kumar.
However, JD(U)'s presence was noticeably missing from the scene, which had pledged support to NDA's candidate Ram Nath Kovind, even before Kumar's candidature was announced.
Opposition Presidential candidate #MeiraKumar files her nomination pic.twitter.com/9XBCX138eU
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 28, 2017
In the run-up to the 15th presidential elections scheduled to be held on 17 July, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday called its MPs and MLAs to New Delhi for the signing of nomination papers, media reports say. The process to elect the next head of state began on Monday. BJP's parliamentary board meeting is scheduled to take place at 12 pm on Monday.
#PresidentialPoll BJP has called its MPs, MLAs to Delhi for signing of nomination papers, process of which begins today. pic.twitter.com/DECzi0UJeB
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017
All senior ministers of the party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, will attend Monday's meeting, IANS reported. BJP is likely to announce its candidate on 22 June.
#PresidentialPoll BJP President Amit Shah arrives at party HQ for BJP Parliamentary Board meeting scheduled to take place at 12 noon #Delhi pic.twitter.com/rcsqlRKgi1 — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017
According to IANS, the board members will be briefed about the consultation of the three-member party committee formed to evolve consensus with the Opposition on the subject. This three-member committee, which was constituted by Shah last week, comprises of senior BJP leaders and Union ministers Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley.
Although, neither the Centre nor the Opposition have declared their presidential candidate, yet several names like that of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, have been doing the rounds. However, Swaraj dismissed claims of her nominations saying these were merely rumours.
Meanwhile, the BJP has been trying to gather support of its allies and other parties before the voting begins. Amit Shah met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday to discuss the issue, but reports suggested that the talks were unsuccessful. Thackeray reportedly rejected Shah's proposal that Narendra Modi be allowed to decide on a presidential candidate.
Naidu on Sunday held discussions with Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party. He also met Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav and Naresh Agrawal to come up with a mutually-acceptable candidate. Jaitley, on the other hand, spoke to leaders of the Trinamool Congress and Biju Janata Dal.
Earlier on Friday, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu met CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and assured him that they would come up with names in three-four days and sought his part's support, PTI reported.
The presidential poll, which is scheduled for 17 July, will conclude on 20 July when the counting of the votes begins. The last date for filing nominations is 28 June, but a candidate can withdraw from the electoral race until 1 July.
With inputs from agencies
The Chairman reiterated that no member of the House should avoid appearing before any investigating agency by citing reasons of the House duty. Congress leader were protesting as the senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge was summoned by ED during the working hours of the Parliament
Nadda will first inaugurate an exhibition and then address the joint national executive meeting of office-bearers of seven cells of the party at Gyan Bhavan
“In eight years PM Narendra Modi gave a ‘Sarva Sparshi, Sarva Samaveshi’ government to the country. There isn’t any area where reforms didn’t take place,” Amit Shah said