MEIRA MEETS PUNJAB CONG LEADERS
Meets Congress MLAs, MPs from Punjab, Haryana to garner support ahead of the poll on July 17; says her party fighting against surge of communalism in country
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) presidential candidate Meira Kumar on Sunday said her party was fighting against the surge of communalism in the country and it was a battle between ideologies and not individuals.
Kumar reached here on Sunday to garner support from Congress MLAs and MPs from Punjab and Haryana. She claimed support of 17 political parties in the country, adding that she was in regular touch with them.
She separately met Haryana and Punjab MLAs along with their election in-charges Salman Khursheed and Asha Kumari. State unit presidents Sunil Jakhar (Punjab) and Ashok Tanwar (Haryana) were also present.
The voting for the presidential polls will take place on July 17.
Kovind was in Panchkula 10 days ago to meet BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLAs and MPs from Punjab and that of the BJP and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) from Haryana.
The Congress has 77 MLAs in Punjab, 15 in Haryana while two are of the Janhit Congress. In Haryana, the party has one MP in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha. In Punjab party has four MPs in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha.
Asked about support from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has 20 MLAs in Punjab, Kumar said she has written to all political parties, including AAP, for support. The AAP is indecisive
The party’s coalition partner Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), which has two MLAs, has announced support to the NDA candidate.
“After getting elected, Meira Kumar will show the mirror to the NDA government,” Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said.
Kumar said she was glad that both the UPA and NDA chose Dalits as their presidential candidates but was unhappy over the fact that the ruling party was projecting it as a fight between two individuals.
She refused to comment on why the UPA took so much time to nominate her as a candidate.
CABINET EXPANSION POSTPONED: JAKHAR
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of Meira Kumar’s visit, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar said cabinet expansion was postponed.
He was referring to last week’s meeting between Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
He did not specify the reasons for the delay.
Referring to the reports that gangster Vicky Gounder from Punjab had fled the country, Jakhar blamed the Centre, saying the Congress government has fulfilled its promise of “gangsters in jail or rail”.
UPA NOMINEE CLAIMS SUPPORT OF 17 PARTIES, ADDING THAT SHE WAS IN REGULAR TOUCH WITH THEM