BSP supports Meira Kumar in Presidential poll

The Bahujan Samaj Party on Thursday extended support to opposition candidate Meira Kumar in the July 17 Presidential election, saying a "better and competent" nominee compared with that of the ruling NDA's had been selected.

BSP leader Satish Chandra Misra told reporters after a meeting of opposition parties here that party chief Mayawati had given her consent to support Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha Speaker and a senior Dalit leader of the Congress.

"Our President Mayawatiji had said that if opposition parties pick a better and competent candidate over the NDA nominee (Ram Nath Kovind), the BSP will extend support. Now, Meira Kumar has been picked by the opposition and Mayawatiji has given her consent to support her," Misra told reporters. 

He said the BSP will endorse the nomination papers of Meira Kumar.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance named former Bihar Governor Kovind, a Dalit leader, as its candidate on Monday, Mayawati said she cannot oppose the NDA candidate unless the opposition puts up a popular Dalit candidate.  - IANS