For Congress, Presidential contest is a battle of values and jubilation of united Opposition
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who met party MPs on Sunday, hours before the presidential polls and said that the battle is of values and ideologies not numbers.
In Short
- Sonia Gandhi addressed party cadres and said poll is not about numbers but ideology.
- She said Opposition stands united, which is noteworthy.
- She added that India should not be let hostage to divisive, communal vision.
Even as the 18-party Opposition stares at lopsided contests in the upcoming Presidential and Vice-Presidential polls, for the Congress, it is about successfully anchoring the Opposition in the run-up to the 2019 polls. As the Congress and other Opposition parties step up their campaign ahead of polling for the Presidential elections today, the contest is being made out to be more of a 'symbolic and ideological' fight rather than of 'numbers'.
Senior Congress leaders who were busy campaigning in the states under their charge maintained on Sunday that they were confident of drumming up adequate support for the Opposition candidates, not just from their own MPs and MLAs, but were also 'hoping' for a 'change of heart' in elected representatives of other parties too.
"It is a strong contest that leaves an important choice before all members of the electoral college. No one is bound by the party whip and is open to vote according to their own choice. That makes it a strong contest," Opposition Vice-Presidential candidate Gopal Krishna Gandhi told Mail Today.
'WE MUST FIGHT HARD'
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who met party MPs on Sunday, hours before the presidential polls, said, "In these contests, the numbers may be against us. But the battle must be fought and fought hard. We cannot and must not let India be hostage to those who wish to impose upon it a narrowminded, divisive and communal vision. We must stand more aware than ever of who we are, what we fought for in our Independence struggle and what future we want for ourselves. We must have confidence in the values we believe in."
"This election represents a clash of ideas, a conflict of disparate values. The election demands a vote of conscience to preserve the India that the Mahatma and that illustrious generation of freedom fighters, joined by thousands upon thousands of ordinary men and women, fought for," she added.
"There was no way that we would have given the NDA candidate a walkover... and not put up a fight at all. In three years, for the first time the Opposition has come together as a united force which is noteworthy. This does say a lot about the way ahead," said a senior party leader.
Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said, "The Opposition candidates stand for the idea of India, equality, secularism, tolerance. It is not just about the numbers but the ideology that one represents. This time the Opposition candidates, by far, come across as more worthy contenders to the posts. Both Meira Kumar and Gopalkrishna Gandhi come with vast experience. During Kumar's tours in the states, the kind of response she has received is phenomenal."
Today, NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind will stand against Opposition candidate Meira Kumar for the Presidential polls. The NDA candidate for the Vice-President's post is yet to be declared. The Vice-Presidential polls are slated for August 5.
Also read: How Ram Nath Kovind was Amit Shah's best kept secret until the last moment
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