Murmu to start campaign today
Will strictly uphold Constitution and its provisions if elected, says Yashwant Sinha
New Delhi, June 30: The BJP-led NDA’s presidential nominee, Droupadi Murmu, is likely to start her campaign on Friday from Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, sources said on Thursday.
Ms Murmu is expected to reach Chandigarh on Thursday morning and thereafter she will go to Himachal Pradesh and interact with MLAs and MPs from the state. On her return, she will interact with elected representatives from Haryana.
Both states are ruled by BJP and Ms Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha, is expected to get the support of the majority elected representatives from these states.
M s Murmu’s visit to Himachal Pradesh assumes significance as the state is going to polls later this year and has a tribal population in a few pockets, the sources said.
Earlier in the day, BJP chief J.P. Nadda reached out to estranged former ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal to seek support for Ms Murmu.
Ms Murmu and her challenger, Yashwant Sinha, were the only two candidates left in the fray for the July 18 presidential election after scrutiny of nomination papers.
Besides all NDA constituents, parties like YSR Congress, BJD, and BSP have also extended support to Ms Murmu.
Meanwhile, Mr Sinha assured that he would strictly uphold the Constitution and its provisions if elected to the office of the President.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Sinha said states are being denied their rights and the posts of governors are misused and that they are acting as agents of the party in power at the Centre. This has to be stopped along with the misuse of the government agencies.
According to him, the top office could act as a “restraining influence” on the executive of the day and “you cannot have in Rashtrapati Bhavan a person who will be the prisoner of the Prime Minister.”
Mr Sinha said he would approach all voters, including those belonging to the BJP. “I called the Prime Minister too. Left a message that I wanted to speak to him. Only to seek his vote. But as usual, he does not like talking to me somehow,” Sinha said.