NEW DELHI: With the campaign for the presidential election entering the last leg, the BJP is counting on the absence of “visible leadership” in the Opposition camp to deliver an “embarrassing defeat” to UPA nominee Meira Kumar. The BJP strategists reckon that the Congress-led Opposition is “leaderless”, which leaves a big vacuum in the presidential campaign of former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar against NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind.“The support base of the NDA nominee is only increasing with every passing day.
It’s becoming evident that Meira Kumar has been not provided with the support system to the campaign. Lack of clarity on leadership in the Opposition camp is helping us get assurances from within the ranks of the parties supporting Meira Kumar’s nomination that they will vote for Kovind,” said a BJP strategist for the presidential election.
Sources in the BJP claimed that “even a significant number of Congress and Trinamool Congress legislators in states heading to Assembly elections next year, including Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tripura, have given assurances to vote for Kovind”. Within the BJP, it’s being seen that the Congress, despite having better numerical strength, could not form governments in Manipur and Goa as a “pattern to further weaken the main Opposition party” in the presidential election.
By July 17, when the polling for the election will take place, Kovind would have covered the length and breadth of the country in the company of senior ministers and party leaders. “Kovind is also speaking to non-NDA legislators during his visits to the state capitals. He is sharing his vision for the country with the legislators and striking a personal rapport with them. During a visit to a state capital, a few of the Independent legislators, besides some from the Congress ranks assured us that they would vote for Kovind. This is being seen at other places as well,” said a senior BJP functionary.