People with ‘secular ideology’ should stand with Meira Kumar: Congress

New Delhi 

With the opposition choosing former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar as their presidential nominee, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday called on those with ‘secular ideology’ to extend their full support to her.

“This is a fight of ideologies, no midway here. People with secular ideology should stand with Meira Kumar,” he told ANI.

Meanwhile, Meira Kumar expressed her happiness at being nominated, while stating that the poll is a fight of ideology.

“A very important decision was taken yesterday. They have made me the nominee. I am extremely happy that this took place with everyone’s consent. This election is a fight of ideology. The 17 parties that have come forward have immense faith on their decision. I will start my campaigning based on this decision,” Kumar told ANI.

Expressing joy over the fact that she was unanimously selected as Opposition’s Presidential nominee by 17 political parties, Kumar said they are deciding on the date of filing the nomination.

Earlier in the day, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind filed his nomination.

He was accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his trip to Parliament House to file his papers.

Former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar was yesterday announced as the Opposition’ Presidential nominee. The Opposition – Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI), and other parties – met yesterday to discuss the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) decision on Presidential nominee Ramnath Kovind, following which they announced their candidate.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had earlier said that the Opposition was a divided house over the Presidential elections as many of its partners have extended support to ruling NDA candidate.

BJP chief Amit Shah had announced the name of Kovind as NDA’s consensus candidate for the post of Indian President.

The election for the next President of India is to be held on July 17 as President Pranab Mukherjee will demit the office on July 24.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued the notification in this regard and the process of the nomination has started that will continue till June 28.