Meira Kumar Asks Legislators To Vote By Conscience

UPA presidential candidate Meira Kumar stated that the upcoming Presidential elections were a rare occasion for the public representatives of the nation to create history by casting their vote for someone like her, and asked them to vote following their inner voices.

Kumar arrived in Hyderabad in the morning for her campaigning, and Congress leaders from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh including TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, AICC secretary Chinna Reddy, MLA Padmavathi, former MP Mallu Ravi, Venu Gopal, Kyama Mallesh and others, welcomed her at the Shamshabad airport. Former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and party leaders R C Kuntia, Koppula Raju and others had accompanied her.

After reaching Gandhi Bhavan, Meira Kumar addressed a packed media gathering. She expressed concern over the present NDA government's attitude as it was deciding what people should eat and what they should speak, and said that she was contesting the elections only for ideals. This was not a contest between two dalits but between two ideas of India, and the Congress was waging a movement to protect the values, philosophy and ideals of India, and the freedom of expression, she said.

"I am contesting the Presidential elections for the sake of ideals. I am fighting for the sake of freedom of expression. And I am not alone. I have plenty of support. I have confidence that I will win the election," she said.

She said that she had the support of 17 political parties so far, and thanked them on the occasion. She said that she had addressed letters to all the opposition parties, including the MIM and the TRS. She added that the UPA had its strategies to get the votes of even the ruling party's public representatives across the nation, and refused to reveal them.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was not available to respond to her phone call though she tried to speak to him, she said. She said that the creation of Telangana State happened when she was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The then UPA government accorded statehood to Telangana only to fulfill the aspirations of Telangana people, she claimed.

After the media interaction, Kumar met the Congress MPs, MLAs and MLCs, and the leaders of various opposition parties at Exhibition Society Bhavan. She also interacted with several media representatives. Later, while delivering her final address, she said that she was confident that she would win the Presidential election. She also said that she was happy to come to Hyderabad.

Later, Kumar paid floral tributes to Telangana martyrs at Gun Park before leaving for Delhi.