Meira Kumar, former Lok Sabha Speaker and daughter of Congress leader Babu Jagjivan Ram, is the Opposition’s choice as the presidential candidate. The presidential election is on July 17.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced Kumar’s name on June 22 afternoon, a befitting reply to the NDA’s choice of an unknown Dalit governor (of Bihar) Ram Nath Kovind as its presidential candidate.

At the meeting of top opposition leaders at the Parliament House Library were present former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ahmed Patel, as also NCP’s Sharad Pawar and RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav. On the side were Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, DMK’s Kanimozhi and National Conference’s Omar Abdullah.

TMC’s Mamata Banerjee was missing, probably because of her foreign trip. Also missing were BSP’s Mayawati and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav. Their representatives, however, were present.

— India Legal Bureau