Presidential polls: Meira Kumar made scapegoat by Congress, claims BJP

New Delhi: The Congress has made Meira Kumar "scapegoat" by fielding her as the Opposition's presidential candidate, claimed Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday and questioned why the party did not nominate her when it was in a position to get her elected to the highest office.

"When the Congress had the opportunity to elect a Dalit president; when they were in power, they did not find Meira Kumar suitable. But when the defeat of the opposition candidate is certain they have fielded her as a scapegoat,” BJP spokesperson G V L Narsimha Rao said.

"This clearly shows that it has no commitment to elect leaders from marginalised sections to high offices and had decided to field her purely done as a token exercise," he further added.

The NDA has chosen Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit leader from the BJP, as its candidate and his victory is almost a foregone conclusion as the ruling bloc enjoys a comfortable majority in the electoral college with the support of parties like the AIADMK, the TRS and the JD(U).

Kumar, a former diplomat and daughter of the late Dalit icon Jagjivan Ram, was the unanimous choice of the 17 opposition parties at a meeting on Thursday.