She was chosen as the Opposition’s nominee for the presidential election after NDA declared Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh, as their candidate.
Opposition candidate Meira Kumar on Friday launched her Presidential election campaign from Sabarmati Ashram here and said her fight is for taking forward the ideology of the Father of the Nation.
She was chosen as the Opposition’s nominee for the presidential election after NDA declared Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh, as their candidate.
When asked about the presidential election being viewed as Dalit v/s Dalit, she said she was happy. “It has exposed the mentality of people and unmasked many of them,” she said, hinting at BJP.
On casteism, she said, “It is very upsetting and unfortunate that a country like India, which wants to advance in every aspect, is using a mentality, which is so narrow and dividing, that too also when we are fighting for 2017 presidentship.”
In the earlier presidential elections, caste was not an issue but the polls were fought on ethics, achievements, experience and values of the candidates. “If the same had happened in other country, we would have criticised it than why not in India,” she said.
Kumar spent around 40 minutes in the Ashram along with Congress leaders Bharatsinh Solanki and Shankarsinh Vaghela.
“I am reminded of my childhood whenever I visit Gujarat. When we used to live in Delhi in 1940, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was our neighbour. I was lucky to get his blessings in childhood. Whenever I visit Gujarat, I am reminded of him,” she said.
“It was from Gujarat that the ideology of Gandhiji spread across the country and the world. That is why I have come here to make the people realise that we fight for our ideologies,” she had said.
“I have come to gain some power from this place. I spent some time at the ‘Hriday Kunj’, Gandhiji’s home in the Ashram. I have gained lot of energy today to take forward this battle,” the 72-year-old Congress veteran said, adding that coming to the Ashram gave her peace.
“I wish prosperity for the people of Gujarat and especially those who are marginalised,” she said.
Kumar is the daughter of late Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram. “My father had worked for the country but even in my dreams I had never thought of taking a mileage out of it,” she said.
When asked what if cross-voting happens in Congress, Meira said she had written to MPs and MLAs, who constitute the electoral college, to vote in the presidential election as per their conscience. “I am confident that they will heed to my appeal,” she said.
On BJP’s and Congress’s presidential elections, she said, “On one hand there is narrow-heartedness and on the other hand we have been taking people along.”
She had filed her first nomination in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders on Wednesday.
The Presidential elections are set to take place on July 17 and counting will take place on July 24.
When Meira meets Maitreyi
While leaving Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan in Paldi, Meira hugged a girl. It was revealed later that she was the daughter of Meira’s close associate in Gujarat for past 20 years, Ravikant Dodiya. “I had come here with my wife and daughter Maitreyi. After she got selected in NIT this year, she had expressed her desire to meet Meira ji. Thus we came here,” Dodiya said.
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