Presidential nominee Meira Kumar joins Twitter

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Jun 26 2017 | 10:02 PM IST
Meira Kumar today made her debut on social networking site Twitter, days after her nomination as the opposition presidential candidate.
Kumar, who will file her nomination for the top constitutional post on Wednesday, made two posts on Twitter and had around a thousand followers by late this evening.
"Eid Mubarak! Joy, peace and prosperity to all," she said through her handle @meira_kumar, which is still to be verified for the blue-tick mark.
In the other tweet, Kumar asked people to follow her on her official Facebook account for updates on the presidential election.
There are 313 million active Twitter users, of which 82 per cent log in through mobile phones.
While several politicians across the globe are active on Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains the most followed leader in India with 31 million followers.
75-year-old Kumar is the joint opposition candidate of 17 non-NDA parties against the ruling dispensation's nominee Ram Nath Kovind.
She will file her nomination on June 28, the last date to do so, and is likely to be accompanied by top Congress and opposition leaders.
Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker, will launch her campaign immediately after the scrutiny of nominations on June 29.
Sources close to her said she is likely to start her campaign from Uttar Pradesh, which was also Kovind's first halt en route his drive to garner support for election to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Asked at a Congress briefing, party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Kumar was finalising her campaign would share it "very shortly".
Kumar had yesterday made an emotional appeal to the electorate comprising MPs and MLAs to cast their vote with their "inner conscience".
She also said the President's post cannot be used for narrow political interests.
Taking a leaf from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's appeal made during the 1974 presidential poll in favour of V V Giri, Kumar said, "This is that moment when one should heed to the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 26 2017 | 10:02 PM IST

Next Story