Presidential election a battle of ideologies: Meira Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition’s presidential candidate Meira Kumar has said that she has more faith in the ‘inner voice’ of the conscience of lawmakers than the unfavourable ‘numbers’ that predict her defeat in the ensuing election.
Addressing a unique gathering of MPs and MLAs from both the LDF and the UDF during her short campaign in the state here on Sunday, Meira Kumar said she was fighting for ideology, social justice and for the supressed and marginalised, “to ensure them their dignity and rights”.This is a historical fight as the nation is witnessing a presidential election based on ideology, she added.
“The last one week has witnessed a historical political development in the country, where 17 political parties decided to articulate very powerfully their desire to fight the presidential contest to protect the ideologies they hold very dear. Their unanimous decision to field me as their candidate comes as a great honour to me,” she said.
Asserting that she is fighting this contest because she has brave convictions and that she is not exempting anyone while seeking support, Meira Kumar said eventually all would join her in the fight. “The nation is at a crossroads, where one road leads to intolerance and so much fear while the other one leads to tolerance and mutual respect. I appeal to all lawmakers to cast their vote according to their conscience, in which I have tremendous faith,” she said.
Meira Kumar, however, said the fight would not be easy, as “the fight for the voiceless and poor will always be a difficult one”.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who presided over the gathering, said Meira Kumar’s candidature was a symbol of the country’s principles of democracy and secularism. “The country is being divided on communal lines and secularism is being threatened. The RSS-led BJP government leads from the front in all these anti-people activities,” he said.
Joining him was opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, who said Meira Kumar was the symbol of the secular fabric of the country. “Kerala is a unique state, where all the MPs and MLAs except one have come together to fight the communal and divisive forces which are trying to spread communal venom in the minds of people,” he said.