New Delhi: The opposition on Thursday announced it will field former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar against the NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind in the Presidential election.
Kumar, the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha, has been a five-time Member of Parliament.
Prior to entering politics, she had been a carrier diplomat.
Leaders of 17 parties, decided to field Kumar at a meeting of opposition parties, presided by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Prominent among those who attended the meeting held in the Parliament House Library were former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ahmed Patel (all Congress), NCP chief Sharad Pawar and RJD president Lalu Prasad.
Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, DMK’s Kanimozhi and National Conference’s Omar Abdullah also attended the meeting.
Derek O’ Brien represented the Trinamool, the SP sent Ramgopal Yadav and the BSP Satish Mishra as leaders of these parties did not attend the meeting.