Listen to your inner voice: Meira Kumar

The opposition's Presidential candidate Meira Kumar has asked all lawmakers -MLAs and MPs from Tamil Nadu to listen to their "inner voice" when they cast their vote in the presidential election. Ms Kumar told reporters she wanted their support in "this ideological battle". "I am fighting an ideological battle," she said after meeting Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly of the DMK, Congress, IUML and the Left parties.

Opposition presidential hopeful Meira Kumar on Sunday reiterated that she had requested members of the collegium comprising all MPs and members of state assemblies to “heed the inner voice of conscience and act in the best interest of the country.” Talking to reporters after meeting the legislators of the ruling Congress and its ally, the DMK, jointly at a star hotel here, she said, “I have written to members of the collegium - all MPS and MLAs of every state and party seeking their support to my candidature in the forthcoming presidential poll.”

“Our country is now standing at cross-roads and I requested members of the collegium in my letter to heed their inner voice of conscience and act in the best interest of the country and stand for the poor and by the philosophy of secularism,” she said. Replying to a question, the former Lok Sabha Speaker said, “From my side it is an ideological fight for secularism. It is not just for tolerance but even more and to respect every one and their belief. Our fight is for freedom of expression. I am also fighting for freedom of press.”

She said for the last one week “there has been historical development. Seventeen major political parties have come together under the chairmanship of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and unanimously decided to choose me as the presidential candidate.”“I am honoured by the trust they have reposed in me. Their coming together is an articulation of the legacy of composite thinking and philosophy that we have inherited. This unity is based on ideological position that all the parties have taken,” she added.

She praised Puducherry and said, “it has a history of always maintaining peace and having respect for every individual cutting across religious and castes, and also whether the individuals are poor or humble or weak or marginalised.” Kumar said the message of Auroville, Aurobindo and The Mother of the Ashram here had been promotion of peace, dignity and this message emanating from Puducherry had spread across the whole country.

Earlier, on arrival at the venue of the joint meeting of the Congress and DMK legislators, the former Lok Sabha Speaker was received by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, his ministerial colleagues, Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu and legislators of the Congress and DMK.