Meira Kumar files nomination, says 'fight of ideology' begins

Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar on Wednesday filed her nomination in the presence of top Congress and other opposition leaders and said it marked the beginning of her "fight of ideology".

Kumar, 72, who filed her papers with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh by her side, will launch her campaign from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat on June 30.

Accompanying the former Lok Sabha speaker as she filed her nomination in Parliament House were a host of opposition leaders, including NCP's Sharad Pawar and CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

"For us, it is a battle of ideologies, principles and truth and we will fight it," Gandhi said after the nomination filing.

The Congress was represented by all its chief ministers - Amarinder Singh, Siddharamaiah, Virbhadra Singh, V Narayanasamy, Mukul Sangma - and its top leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ambika Soni. Former chief ministers Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh attended the event as well.

Also present were CPI's D Raja, DMK's Kanimozhi, SP's Naresh Agrawal, BSP's Satish Chandra Misra, NCP's Tariq Anwar, JMM's Sanjeev Kumar and TMC's Derek O'Brien and leaders of other opposition parties. Sonia Gandhi and other top Congress and opposition leaders were amongst those who proposed and seconded Kumar's nomination.

"I have filed my nomination papers as the opposition candidate for the presidential election. Along with Sonia Gandhi, leaders of 16 opposition parties were also present as were members of the electoral college.

"From today, our fight of ideology has started. This ideology is based on democratic values, inclusiveness in society, freedom of the press and individuals, end of poverty, transparency and destruction of caste structure," Kumar said after filing her papers.

She also said she doesn't merely believe in talking about about this ideology, but in implementing it.

Kumar said she had already appealed to all members of the electoral college that this was a very important time when the country stood at a crossroads.

"There is one path which takes us towards narrow- mindedness and no concern for the poor and downtrodden, while the other path leads to upliftment of Dalits, poor, oppressed, downtrodden, women and labour and people of all religions. "I have urged everyone to hear the voice of their inner conscience and take the country forward," the former speaker said.

She said she would reach Sabarmati, from where she draws strength and inspiration, tomorrow evening itself and would start her campaign the next day. From there, she would go to Mumbai and Bangalore and be in Bihar on July 6.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday described the presidential election as a battle of ideologies and principles and said the opposition was determined to fight it.

"For us, it is a battle of ideologies, principles and truth and we will fight it," she said after the opposition's presidential candidate Meira Kumar filed her nomination in Parliament.

The Congress president led the 17 opposition parties in accompanying the former Lok Sabha speaker as she filed her nomination on the last day on Wednesday. Gandhi is one of Kumar's proposers in one set of nomination papers, sources said. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who is abroad on a vacation, said Kumar represents the values that bind the country and its people.

"Against the ideology of divisiveness she represents the values that bind us as a nation and people. Proud to have Meira Kumar ji as our candidate," he tweeted.

Jammu and Kashmir's ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday assured NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind of its support in the forthcoming election to Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The assurance of support was given to Kovind during a joint meeting with the MLAs of the PDP, the BJP and the Peoples Conference -- coalition partners in the state government -- held at the residence of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, a senior PDP leader said.

State Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu said the meeting with Kovind was called to garner support.

"It is a traditional practice that the designate or the nominee actually starts canvassing for the support. So the coalition partners, the BJP, the PDP, all legislative members and MPs had come. He sought support.

"He spoke about at how he stands for inclusive India which is above politics and how diversity is the real ethos of India and how that will become a very important in his dealing with it," Drabu said.