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NDA’s Presidential pick to launch his campaign from UP today
Ram Nath Kovind is set to begin his Presidential campaign in Lucknow on Sunday. At a meeting with elected lawmakers, he will seek their support in his contest with Meira Kumar.
NDA’s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind will be in Lucknow on Sunday to seek support from elected representatives in Uttar Pradesh.
Kovind, who will meet chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is also scheduled to address the NDA lawmakers at 5 pm.
BJP’s national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, who will accompany Kovind to Lucknow, confirmed that the NDA’s presidential candidate would launch his campaign from his home state.
Like Adityanath, UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya has hailed Kovind’s nomination as an “honour for UP”.
The Congress is also planning to send a delegation to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati to garner support for opposition candidate Meira Kumar, who like Kovind, is a Dalit.
It is still not clear if Kovind would also meet Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav or SP chief Akhilesh Yadav but sources said since Kovind would stay overnight in Lucknow, he might meet lawmakers and leaders of other parties over dinner.
Read more: Presidential polls: Adityanath says Meira’s candidature a ploy to divide Dalits
After Kovind, opposition candidate Meira Kumar will also come calling to UP. “The dates are being worked out,” a Congress leader said adding that Kumar would be accompanied by AICC general secretary and UP in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The Congress leader said they were forced to name a candidate as the BJP did not take them into confidence on Kovind. However, the BJP hit back saying that the Congress was opposing Kovind for the sake of it.
Yogi Adityanath has accused the Congress of not being sincere towards Dalits. “They should have projected Meira Kumar in the previous presidential polls. It was only after the NDA picked a Dalit leader that they brought in Meira Kumar to pit a Dalit against a Dalit. This is an insult to Dalits,” Adityanath said.
