Presidential election: Meira Kumar is Opposition candidate

Decision taken at a meeting attended by leaders of 17 Opposition parties.

The Opposition unanimously selected former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Thursday as its candidate for the presidential election next month.

If the decision to challenge the BJP nominee, Ram Nath Kovind, sprang from a desire to jointly fight “an ideological battle” against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the lead-up to 2019, the fact that Ms. Kumar is from Bihar played a role in her selection.

With the defection of the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) to the BJP camp, a sore point with the Opposition leaders who gathered at the Parliament Library, there was a clear sense — though not stated — that the presence of Ms. Meira Kumar in the fray might embarrass the JD(U). Especially as the Bihar Chief Minister had stressed he was backing the Uttar Pradesh-born R.N. Kovind as he was Governor of Bihar. RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav later said he would ask Mr. Nitish Kumar to change his mind and back the daughter of Bihar.

Ms. Kumar, as senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad pointed out, is the daughter of freedom fighter, former Union Minister and Dalit icon Jagjivan Ram, and has an impressive CV — she has been a five-time Lok Sabha member, Lok Sabha Speaker, Union Cabinet Minister and has had a stint in the Indian Foreign Service.

Of course, the numbers remain stacked in favour of the BJP-led NDA’s candidate. Apart from the NDA allies, the AIADMK, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the YSR Congress, the Biju Janata Dal and, of course, the JD(U) are supporting Mr. Kovind’s candidature.

Interestingly, the entry of the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) into the Opposition grouping on Thursday saw its numbers rising again to 17 and bringing some mild cheer with it.

Opposition seeks support for nominee

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who chaired the discussion, later told journalists that they would appeal to all parties to vote for Ms. Kumar. The RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav, said – in response to a question -- that he did not think that the Bihar government was in any danger and that he would make a strong appeal to Mr. Nitish Kumar when he returned to Patna to change his mind.

The meeting was choreographed perfectly, with Ms. Gandhi first delivering an opening statement on why the Opposition had decided to contest the election – the fact that the government had sought their cooperation, not consensus as the ministerial team had not come with any names to the Opposition leaders they had spoken to, and then followed it up with a unilateral announcement. She then turned to NCP chief Sharad Pawar who placed three names before the meeting, that of Ms. Meira Kumar, former Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and former Planning Commission chairperson Bhalchandra Mungekar.

When it was Mr. Lalu Prasad’s turn to speak, he suggested that everyone agree to Ms. Kumar’s name. The BSP’s Satish Mishra and the SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav accepted the name.