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Why Meira Kumar was never in the race

The just concluded presidential election was the most challenging task for the PM Modi and Shah, since even after winning the UP assembly polls, a united Opposition still had an edge. However, with their choice of candidate, the NDA has secured 65.65 per cent votes.

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MEIRA KUMAR
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Soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party declared to field Bihar Governor and Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind as Presidential candidate, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who was till then speculated as the possible united Opposition candidate, rang up Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury requesting not to press his name further. "The situation has changed. I don't want to be seen contesting a Dalit," he was quoted as telling Yechuri.

On June 19, at the BJP's Parliamentary board meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken all other members aback by proposing Kovind as his choice. Many believed it was a political masterstroke which had Modi and BJP President Amit Shah's signature all over it. Opposition leaders were expecting a repeat of 2002, when the NDA regime under Atal Bihar Vajpayee was forced to open dialogues with them. The dialogues had led the government to field APJ Abdul Kalam, a consensus candidate.

But both Modi and Shah kept the Opposition guessing till the end. Kovind's nomination forced the Opposition to rework strategy, but a key ally Janata Dal (United) had already broken ranks by then. Other regional groupings were lining up with their support. Therefore, when the Opposition zeroed in on former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar to take on Kovind, she was never in a race. She had to fight a symbolic battle.

Meira Kumar was nominated for three reasons — her caste, her state, and her party.

At a 17-party Opposition meeting, NCP chief Sharad Pawar proposed three names — all Dalits.

The just concluded presidential election was the most challenging task for the PM Modi and Shah, since even after winning the UP assembly polls, a united Opposition still had an edge. However, with their choice of candidate, the NDA has secured 65.65 per cent votes.

Meira Kumar had termed her election as 'historic' as it was being contested on ideology. "Never before had the Presidential election in India been contested on ideology," she said, attempting to make it a battle for the survival of secularism.

Immediately after the results, she greeted her rival Kovind for winning the election. "My fight for secularism, the oppressed & the marginalised continues. I thank all my well wishers for their support & good wishes," she added.

The just concluded presidential election was the most challenging task for the PM Modi and Shah, since even after winning the UP assembly polls, a united Opposition still had an edge. There was gap of more than 12,000 votes in the electoral college. It was bridged first by winning support of all the three factions of Tamil Nadu's AIADMK. With Kovind's nomination, others like YSR Congress, TRS, JD (U), BJD , Indian National Lok Dal of Haryana also declared their support for the NDA candidate. The BJP leaders were boasting that they will get 70% votes of the Electoral College. They have managed to secure 65.65 votes for Kovind. In Andhra Pradesh, Miera Kumar polled zero votes. She polled highest 273 votes in West Bengal, followed by 163 in Karnataka and 138 in Kerala.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi also congratulated the President-elect. "The President of India enjoys a unique position as defender and protector of the Constitution, upholder of democratic traditions and as supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces," she said. She reiterated Congress party's commitment to work for upholding these cherished values and established conventions which are the intrinsic cornerstone of our Constitution.

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