Election being fought on basis of ideology, not caste: Meira Kumar

The ruling National Democratic Alliance may want to project the Presidential elections as being devoid of ideology, but the Opposition’s candidate, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, is of the contrary view. “This is the election to the highest office in the country. How can it be free from ideology? The contest is on the basis of ideology, not caste,” she said, having already reached out to the entire electoral college by writing to them individually.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, Kumar expressed pain and anguish over the prevailing scenario in the country and said she would contest the polls on the plank of democratic values, inclusiveness, social justice and destruction of caste structure. She asked the electoral college “to listen to their conscience” and “vote in the nation’s interest”.

With BJP having named Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit, as the presidential candidate, Kumar deplored that the presidential election was being seen as a ‘Dalit versus Dalit’ contest. If the election for the top post is seen as two Dalits contesting, she said, then it “shows how the society thinks”.

“Earlier, when candidates from upper castes had contested for this post, never was their caste discussed; so why now?” Kumar asked, saying, “The caste system should be buried deep down in the earth.”

However, when asked about the recent attacks on Dalits, she said that it “was shameful”.

While NDA Presidential candidate Kovind started his campaign from Uttar Pradesh, Kumar said she would start her campaign from Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram. Speaking about the Mahatma’s leadership in the freedom struggle, Kumar said Sabarmati has thus great significance. “Sabarmati is the best place to start the campaign,” said the 72-year-old Kumar.

On External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s tweeting a 2013 video that hinted at bias in her role as Speaker, Kumar in a dignified manner put the issue aside by saying: “All MPs appreciated my functioning as Speaker and they have said on record that I had been impartial in conducting the House (Lok Sabha).”

Incidentally, the Congress had responded earlier by posting a contrasting video on Twitter wherein Swaraj is seen praising then Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar for never losing her temper which helped in the smooth functioning of the House.

While Kumar said she would be meeting all the legislators in all the states, she didn’t want to reveal her cards on whether she would meet senior BJP leaders LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi—both said to have had nursed presidential ambitions.

That said, with all NDA members and even some Opposition parties also coming in favour of Kovind, Kumar has a tough fight ahead.

Though Kumar, daughter of iconic Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram, hails from Bihar, reporters pointed out the irony of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar—who heads a UPA government—lending his support to Kovind. Kumar though deftly replied pointing out that she had written to the entire electoral college and that “now the ball is in their court”.

However, with the presidential election being a secret ballot, it has to be seen if Kumar can influence cross-voting in her favour on July 17. “I am a fighter. I am going to fight,” she said.