Meira Kumar has already accepted her defeat: BJP

Responding to Opposition's Presidential candidate Meira Kumar assertion that she was not a "scapegoat" in the upcoming election to the country's top constitutional post as she was fighting for an ideology, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said her statement exposes that she has already accepted her defeat.

"It is a democracy. As long as he or she is eligible can contest the presidential election or otherwise. But what is more important is that the way she has stated, her statement exposes that she has already accepted her defeat. Because the NDA candidate has enough support. He will win," BJP leader Zafar Islam told ANI.

Echoing similar sentiment, another BJP leader S. Prakash said Meira has been contested needlessly against another Dalit.

"Meira Kumar is aware that she will lose the election. She has been contested needlessly against another Dalit. They claim it is not the cast, but the ideology. I don't understand what ideology they are talking about. Meira Kumar has been provided an opportunity to contest the election and I hope she understands the ground reality as to how she has been used by the Congress," he added.

Earlier, Meira Kumar had said "Anybody fighting for an ideology and appealing to the voice of conscience cannot be a scapegoat. I am a fighter and I will fight and I am sure that many will join me in this fight."

Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker and the daughter of iconic Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram, was speaking to reporters after meeting the Congress MPs and MLAs at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office here. Seventeen opposition parties have fielded Kumar as their joint candidate in the Presidential election against NDA's nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

Meira Kumar also said that it is a shame that the election has been turned into fight between "Dalit vs Dalit", adding that her nomination was supported by 17 major opposition parties unanimously.

"When Ram Nath Kovind and I were nominated, it became a caste issue. Shameful that Presidential election has been turned into Dalit vs Dalit. 17 major Opposition parties unanimously selected me as presidential candidate. The unity is based on firm ideological position," Kumar said while addressing a press conference here.

She added that people of this country want development, good roads and infrastructure and it's time that their thoughts should also be clean.

"We have people living in this country who are suppressed and marginalised for years. With the freedom movement, we have pledged that we will bring them up at par with others and will ensure them dignity, development, security and would mainstream them. This is our ideology and we have worked for this for years," Kumar asserted.

On July 17, the electors will cast their votes to elect the next President of India.

Counting of votes for the Presidential election will take place on July 20 and on July 25, a day after incumbent Pranab Mukherjee demits office, India will get its 14th President.