Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar has everything but number

Published on: 14 July 2017 11:25 AM GMT

Lucknow: Meira Kumar, the combined opposition candidate for the presidential election next week, is not leaving anything to chance and trying hard to give the opponent a tough fight. The number is against her but that has not dampened her spirit.

After visiting some other parts of the country and seeking support , she was here on Friday, two days before casting of votes. The state matters a lot to her as it has the largest number of assembly and Lok Sabha members.

She has met all those who mattered including Akhilesh Yadav, who is the leader of the largest opposition party in the state assembly .

She may take his support for granted but his party is no more a major force to be reckoned with and is a divided house.

His father and founder of the party, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and the members close to him are unlikely to support her and may vote in favour of the rival candidate, Ram Nath Kovind, former governor of Bihar. The party has 47 MLAs.

The Bahujan Samaj Party which is the third largest party in the state assembly and which has already assured support has been decimated in the recent assembly elections too. From 80 in the past the party's strength has been reduced to 19 in the present House.

She has to also bear in mind that her rival Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the most effective party in the state with 325 members including members of its allies. All these are likely to vote against her.

In the country as a whole her opponent has been assured more than 60 per cent of total votes--- of members of two houses of Parliament and 29 state assemblies and assemblies in two union territories.

The National Democratic Alliance which is opposing her has got 48. 10 per cent votes . It has been assured additional support by some other parties including the JD(U) and the BJD. That means that another 12.20 per votes are in the NDA kitty.

As such, her rival is likely to collect more than 60 per cent votes. In addition, members of some of the parties supporting her are likely to cross-vote. Some Bihar Congress members have already made their preference known.

All this leaves very little room for manoeuvering to Meira Kumar. She is not unaware of all this and it is precisely for this reason that she has appealed for vote on " conscience" and " above caste" and other such policies.

" Mine is a battle of ideologies", she has been often quoted as saying by newspapers in some other states.

Meira with journalists

After meeting political leaders she addressed a press conference in the capital where she made some additional points to solicit votes.