Meira Kumar congratulates Ram Nath Kovind, says battle for ideology will continue

Ram Nath Kovind was on Thursday elected the 14th President of India.

New Delhi: Opposition candidate Meira Kumar on Thursday congratulated Ram Nath Kovind on being elected the 14th President of India but said her "battle" for ideology would continue.

"I want to congratulate Kovindji on his election as the President of India. I extend my good wishes to him as it has fallen upon him to uphold the Constitution of India in this most challenging time," Kumar told media. 

"I want to make it very clear that today on July 20, 2017, my battle for ideology doesn't end. It will continue because the ideology, the value system, the principles that I am fighting for are held sacred by most of the people of my country who find strength in it," she said. 

The former Lok Sabha Speaker said the values for which she is battling are "social justice, inclusiveness, secularism, transparency, freedom of expression, freedom of the press and total destruction of the caste system". 

"I will continue to fight for these values with all the strength at my command." 

Kumar also thanked Congress President Sonia Gandhi, opposition leaders and countrymen for their support.

"I want to thank all those honourable members of the collegium who voted for me. I want to thank Sonia Gandhi and all the leaders of those opposition political parties who unanimously made me the candidate in this election. I want to thank my countrymen and women who have extended good wishes to me and have supported me," she added. 

Kovind got 65.65 per cent of the total valid vote value of 10,69,358, while Meira Kumar got 34.35 per cent.