New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party, which had been undecided so far in the Presidential election, on Thursday announced that it would throw its support behind former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, who is also the joint opposition candidate.
Addressing the press on Thursday evening, senior party leader Sanjay Singh said, “A meeting of the AAP’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) was held under the chairmanship of national convener Arvind Kejriwal to decide the party’s stance on the Presidential election. It was decided in the meeting that AAP’s MLAs will support the joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar.”
He added, “Our reasons for supporting Meira Kumar are very clear. We think that the election of the President should be held above party lines. In fact, it would be better if the President and Vice President are chosen by consensus between the government and the opposition. It sends a good message for democracy. But given the circumstances, most parties are supporting Meira Kumar.”
Elaborating the AAP’s reasons for supporting Kumar’s candidacy, Singh said, “Arvind Kejriwal even received a phone call on Meira Kumar’s behalf seeking support for her in the elections. The PAC decided to support her because the role of the opposition in important under the current political climate in the country.”
AAP’s support, however, will do little to help Meira Kumar close the lead that NDA nominee Ramnath Kovind is believed to have over her. The AAP, with 65 MLAs in Delhi and 20 in Punjab, comprises around 1% of the Electoral College.
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