Battle Of Ideology, Not 'Dalit vs Dalit': Meira Kumar On President Poll

Meira Kumar, the joint opposition's candidate for President, today thanked the 17 parties that have backed her for the country's top post and said she would launch her campaign from Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. She is yet to file her nomination papers but has already appealed to lawmakers who elect the President to follow their "inner conscience" when voting. "There is a storm that two Dalits are pitted against each other for the President's post and the truth of our society is coming out. Whenever similar elections have happened in the past, there were candidates who fought but their religion or caste was never discussed. But today it has been highlighted," said Ms Kumar, a Dalit leader of the Congress from Bihar, whose selection by the opposition parties was seen as a counter to the BJP picking a Dalit leader Mr Kovind.