Campaigning to seek support from state legislators, Presidential candidate of the joint Opposition and former lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar visted lucknow on Friday and claimed that the state remained her Rs karm bhoomi’ and that Kanpur was her ‘nanihal’.
Terming the impending Presidential poll a contest between two ideologies, Kumar said that she represented an ideology which depicts communal harmony.
Speaking about her connect with UP, she said that her political career started by winning lok Sabha elections from Bijnore in 1985 and that her mother was a mative of Kanpur. “I belong both to Bihar and UP and hence I have all the right to seek vote in the state,” she asserted.
After reaching lucknow on Monday morning, Kumar accompanied by some Congress leaders met Mayawati at the latter’s residence and was closeted with her for about 40 minutes. She later visited the Samajwadi Party office to meet Akhilesh Yadav and his 47 MlAs and she remained there for about 90 minutes.
Refusing to say anything on probable cross voting by some SP members as his uncle Shivpal Yadav had pledged support to NDA candidate Kovind, Akhilesh claimed that all SP votes will go to Meira Kumar.
later addressing the media flanked by state Congress chief Raj Babbar and Rajya Sabha members Pramod Tiwari and Pl Punia, Kumar exhorted the BJP and other parties supporting the NDA candidate to listen to their inner voice and support her as it was contest between two ideologies.
“Earlir it (Presidential poll) was a contest of personality, this time it is an ideological fight. People are afraid with the ideology the country is being ruled in the past three years and in UP in the last three months. We have to break this ideology for the betterment of the country,” she said.
The former lok Sabha Speaker said that it was a great honour for her to get the trust of 17 parties led by Congress and become a Presidential candidate. “This Opposition unity is inspired by a value system which is the base of freedom fight against Britishers,” she claimed.
Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre, Kumar said that she was peeved to see atrocities on Dalits and the dignity of Dalits, tribals and poor must be ensured.
“Though I am a Dalit, yet as a person I want to end the caste system as it was hampering development of the community,” she maintained.
Meira Kumar said that the SP, BSP, Congress and RlD in UP have assured support to her and that she had contacted SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.