Vote for ideology that binds India: Prez candidate Meira Kumar to lawmakers

New Delhi: With the odds stacked against her, the Congress-led opposition's presidential candidate Meira Kumar on Monday urged the members of the electoral college to heed their "voice of conscience" and vote for an ideology that binds India.

Voting for the presidential poll began at 10 am on Monday and will continue till 5 pm. The results of the poll will be declared on July 20.

"Today is a very important day. Today, the collegium will take a decision and you all know I am a candidate in this contest to fight the battle of ideology," Kumar said.

The former Lok Sabha speaker said that the ideology of "social justice, inclusiveness, secularism, transparency, freedom of expression and press, poverty alleviation and total destruction of caste system" binds India together.

It is very important that "we protect and preserve it", she said.

Kumar said she has requested the members of the collegium to heed the "inner voice of their conscience" as it is "pure and powerful".

"We should heed to it in the best interest of the country and for the future of the country," she added.

Kumar is contesting against NDA's candidate Ram Nath Kovind. The electorate, comprising elected Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members and members of state assemblies, is tilted in favour of the NDA, but the opposition is working to seek support of some regional parties in favour of its candidate.