Oppn fielding prez candidate not right step: AP CM

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said opposition parties fielding a candidate for the presidential election was not the right step, considering the support NDA's Ram Nath Kovind has.

"Ram Nath Kovind will win with a huge majority which is evident from the number of people who attended the event where he filed nomination," Naidu told reporters.

He added that knowing the success awaiting Kovind, the opposition parties had not taken the right decision by fielding a candidate against him.

The opposition has announced former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar as their presidential candidate.

Soon after the BJP announced Kovind's name as its candidate for the July 17 presidential election, Naidu, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief, offered his support.

"I am happy with Ram Nath Kovind's nomination for the highly respected position. He is a genius and a person belonging to weaker section. I appreciate the NDA for picking Kovind," he said.

Naidu also held talks with Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Harsh Vardhan, Uma Bharti and Dharmendra Pradhan on several state-specific issues ranging from environmental clearance for the Polavaram project to setting up a petroleum refinery.

Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and TDP MPs Jayadev Gallaa and Mangati Venkateswara Rao also accompanied the chief minister.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)