Battle of Ideology, Not 'Dalit Vs Dalit': Meera Kumar

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Former Lok Sabha Speaker and the joint opposition's candidate for President  Meera Kumar today thanked the 17 parties that have backed her for the country's top post and said she would launch her campaign from Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram in Gujrat.

Ms Kumar, 72, said "freedom of press, social justice and the destruction of the caste structure" are at the core of the ideology that united the parties that have fielded her for President against the ruling BJP-led national alliance's nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

"There is a storm that two Dalits are pitted against each other for the President's post and the truth of our society is coming out. Whenever similar elections have happened in the past, there were candidates who fought but their religion or caste was never discussed. But today it has been highlighted," said Ms kumar, a Dalit leader from Bihar, whose selection by the opposition was seen as a counter to the BJP picking a Dalit leader Mr Kovind.

She is yet to file her nomination papers but has already appealed to lawmakers who elect the President to follow their "inner conscience" when voting.

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