Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Ram Nath Kovind versus Meira Kumar' that was published in Newsband

Ram Nath Kovind versus Meira Kumar

In the 2017 presidential election, while the candidature of Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind on behalf of the ruling party was a surprise, the response from the opposition in naming former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar was anything but that.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah chose someone less known but from a disadvantaged community. The Congress and its allies came up with the name of Ms. Kumar, daughter of the late leader of the depressed classes, Babu Jagjivan Ram.

As usual, the opposition has reacted too late - and might have been almost deliberately. Thus, whole election procedure has become a formality. This may also indicate the plight of splintered opposition and its lack of any affirmative action

NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind's victory is a foregone conclusion with over 63% of the electoral college votes. CM Nitish Kumar rightly pointed out, "Bihar ki Beti has been nominated only to lose." Congress wants to fight a battle of ideologies and does not want a long-time BJP leader to be President. How about Meira Kumar? Is she an alien from Mars? She is not only a long time Congress leader but also daughter of a senior Congress leader. Congress is in her genes. CM Nitish Kumar reiterated that Ram Nath Kovind as Governor of Bihar worked with immaculate neutrality. How about Meira Kumar? The whole world witnessed her pathetic part as Speaker in the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. She is unqualified and unfit to be President of India.

What was the strategy of UPA and its cohorts all the while insisting on NDA to first announce its Prez. candidate as though such an announcement itself would guarantee its win over the NDA. The truth was that the UPA lacked original thinking and 'were only waiting to react'. There was no creative thinking in the UPA camp to take the initiative. It did not draw any lesson from its Goa debacle. The NDA has the numbers and also a master strategist in the person of Amit Shah. So it carries the day.

It is a universal fact that the ornamental Presidential post in India is just for rituals that have no relevance except creating a painting of Human signature on all Laws/Enactments/Rules etc as passed by the Legislature and at other times Notified by the Govt of the day. Election of the President is mere endorsement of that ritual, and when the Opposition brings in their candidate, they create a ritual within the ritual.

Regarding Presidential elections, why is the Opposition not having any credibility? The opposition appears like group of criminals and corrupt, who are branding themselves as "Secular", while in reality being completely communal.