Presidential Election 2017 : Meira Kumar stresses on Opposition unity, press freedom

The opposition’s presidential candidate Meira Kumar will file her nomination papers on Wednesday, the last date of filing nominations. Congress sources said Meira Kumar will be accompanied by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge when she files her papers. Leaders of 16 other parties supporting her, including NCP’s Sharad Pawar, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad are also expected to be present during the filing of nomination. On Monday, Kumar made her debut on Twitter.

Eid Mubarak! Joy, peace and prosperity to all.

— Meira Kumar (@meira_kumar) June 26, 2017

You can also follow me on Facebook for updates on the Presidential Poll.https://t.co/wKbtjLp3mn

— Meira Kumar (@meira_kumar) June 26, 2017

75-year-old Kumar is the joint opposition candidate of 17 non-NDA parties against the ruling dispensation’s nominee Ram Nath Kovind. [caption id=“attachment_3749551” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Meira Kumar. Reuters[/caption] Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker, will launch her campaign immediately after the scrutiny of nominations on Thursday. Sources close to her said she is likely to start her campaign from Uttar Pradesh, which was also Kovind’s first halt en route his drive to garner support for election to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Asked at a Congress briefing, party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Kumar was finalising her campaign and would share it “very shortly”. Kumar had yesterday made an emotional appeal to the electorate comprising MPs and MLAs to cast their vote with their “inner conscience”. She also said the President’s post cannot be used for narrow political interests. Taking a leaf from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s appeal made during the 1974 presidential poll in favour of VV Giri, Kumar said, “This is that moment when one should heed to the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation.” With inputs from agencies