*Naidu, Dr Jitendra, Baig call for full support
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 28: NDA’s Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind said today that the post of the President of India for which he is contesting is “above party politics’’ and he would take care of entire population of 125 crore of the country irrespective of their cast, creed or religion.
Kovind, a BJP candidate backed by NDA partners and number of regional parties, was addressing joint meeting of BJP and its allies in Jammu and Kashmir including PDP, People’s Conference etc at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s residence in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, during his brief three-hour long visit to Kashmir.
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“I will not be the President of one party or one region. I will be President of 125 crore people of the country. When elected, I will take care of every State, every region within my Constitutional duties,’’ Kovind, who is facing Congress backed Opposition candidate Meira Kumar in July 17 election for post of the President, said in his brief address to Ministers, legislators and senior leaders of PDP, BJP and People’s Conference.
Kovind said being Constitutional head of the country, he will look forward to discharge his duties to the satisfaction of all political parties, organizations and, above all, people of the country. He added that he needs support of all political parties to discharge his Constitutional duties effectively.
“When elected, I will be President of entire country and my aim will be to do justice with all. I belong to all parties, entire nation and its people,’’ Kovind, whose victory in the Presidential election is almost certain, said.
He said majority of population in the country presently comprised youth and added that “it becomes responsibility of all of us to unitedly work for their future and welfare’’.
Kovind during his visit to Srinagar was accompanied by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh, BJP general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav and party MP Shama Prasad Shukla, Observer for the Presidential elections.
Sources said Kovind sought the support of all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir for his candidature. He hoped that even the political parties, which are not part of the BJP-PDP Alliance Government in Jammu and Kashmir, will vote for his candidature.
In her address, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said though the PDP was not part of NDA, it decided to extend support to Kovind immediately as soon as his candidature was announced.
Referring to the term ‘sister’ used for her by Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Mehbooba said: “as a true Indian sister, I will discharge my duties (by casting votes in favour of Presidential nominee)’’. At the same time, he added, the “brothers should also fulfill their duties and obligations towards the people of Kashmir’’, which is being considered as an indirect reference to holding talks for resolution of Kashmir problem by the Centre.
“We should all be present to cast our vote on June 17,’’ she said.
Mehbooba said she has been told that Kovind had earlier also visited Valley, which is called paradise on earth. She recalled her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s statement that whether the paradise “we talk after death will be more beautiful than the Valley?’’.
Venkaiah Naidu mentioned the support extended to candidature of Kovind by various political parties including both factions of AIADMK of Tamil Nadu, TDP and YSR Congress of Andhra Pradesh, TRS of Telangana, JD-U of Nitish Kumar and INLD of Haryana.
“Kovind’s candidature has received support from South to North. This was a very rare support and shows his personality and acceptance throughout the country,’’ Naidu said, and told the meeting that even Tripura faction of Trinamool Congress (TMC) of Mamata Banerjee has extended support to Kovind.
Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had tried all efforts to evolve consensus for the post of President, which was evident from the meeting senior BJP Ministers had with AICC (I) president Sonia Gandhi before announcement of the candidature. Even after name of the candidate was finalized, it wasn’t disclosed to media till the Prime Minister and the Home Minister briefed Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and other senior opposition leaders.
Addressing, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh said entry of Ram Nath Kovind to the Rashtrapati Bhawan will add glory to the office of the President as with him “internal ethos’’ of India will also shift to his office.
“The elevation of Kovind as President of India will mar completion of process of grass root democracy in India reaching the highest Constitution office, which had started with election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister and Amit Shah as BJP president,’’ Dr Jitendra Singh said.
Dr Singh said though victory of Kovind is a foregone conclusion, “every MP and legislator should contribute in the victory by casting their votes in his favour’’. He explained in detail the voting pattern for the post of President.
PDP veteran leader and MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig described Kovind as an epitome of India’s cultural and spiritual link saying his name was synonymous with traditions and values of the country. He appreciated his selection for the post of President by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
Baig lauded Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s decision for prompt support to Kovind.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, in his vote of thanks, lauded Ram Nath Kovind for visiting Jammu and Kashmir though his victory is already certain. He assured full support of BJP and its allies to the Presidential nominee.
All top PDP, BJP and People’s Conference leaders including MPs (both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and MLAs, who comprised Electoral College for the Presidential election were present in the meeting.
People’s Conference chief and Social Welfare Minister Sajjad Lone was abroad and couldn’t make it to the meeting but he has conveyed his party’s support to Kovind through Dr Jitendra Singh.
BJP has 25 MLAs of its own while its ally People’s Conference of Sajjad Lone has two. Independent MLA from Zanskar Bakir Rizvi is also a BJP supporter. This takes BJP’s tally to 28. PDP also has 28 MLAs.
On the other, NC has 15 MLAs, Congress 12 and CPM one, totaling 28. Three others are Independent MLAs including Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Engineer Rashid and Pawan Gupta.
Apart from MLAs, BJP has highest number of four Members of Parliament in J&K including three Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha MPs, followed by three of PDP, two Rajya Sabha and one Lok Sabha while National Conference has one member of Lok Sabha and Congress one Rajya Sabha. Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Kashmir is vacant.
Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu said the meeting with Kovind was called to garner support.
“It is a traditional practice that the designate or the nominee actually starts canvassing for the support. So the coalition partners, the BJP, the PDP, all legislative members and MPs had come. He sought support.
“He spoke about at how he stands for inclusive India which is above politics and how diversity is the real ethos of India and how that will become a very important in his dealing with it,” Dr Drabu said.
He said a broad direction from the party leadership is that “we must all vote and ensure that he wins. His victory almost seems decided.”
“We had a very fruitful meeting with the chief minister and her party colleagues, MLAs and MPs. Then she introduced the candidate also. We met each one of them. They were all very happy,” Naidu said after the meeting.
He said while the NDA was united, the opposition is divided on the presidential election.
“We are united, we in the NDA are united. The opposition is divided. We are going forward, they are looking backward,” he said.
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