Presidential poll not about 2 candidates, but ideologies: Yashwant

NEW DELHI: Making his final appeal ahead of the poll scheduled on Monday, Opposition's Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha on Sunday said that the election is not about the identities of the two candidates but about the ideologies and ideals.

"As I have stressed in all my meetings and media interactions, this election is not about the identities of the two candidates in the fray but about the ideologies and ideals they represent," said Sinha while sharing his statement on Twitter ahead of election.

The former Union minister said, "My ideology is the Constitution of India. My rival candidate represents those forces whose ideology and agenda, let's make no mistake, is to change the Constitution. I stand for safeguarding India's democratic system."

He alleged that the rival candidate is supported by those who are mounting daily attacks on democracy. "I stand for protecting secularism, a Preambular pillar of our Constitution, which is best exemplified by India's age-old Ganga-Jamuni heritage of unity in diversity. My rival candidate belongs to a party that has made no secret of its resolve to destroy this pillar and establish majoritarian supremacy," he said in the statement.

My rival is backed by a party that practices politics of confrontation and conflict. I stand for the Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights of every Indian citizen, without any discrimination. My rival is chosen by those who are violating this principle with impunity. I stand for harmonious Centre-State relations and cooperative federalism. My rival is the nominee of an establishment that has launched multiple assaults on the federal structure of the Indian Constitution," added Sinha in his statement.

He said further that it was never the intention or purpose of the great makers of the Constitution that the highest office of the Republic should be used for the appeasement of any section of our society.

I have repeatedly pledged that, if elected, I shall function, without fear or favour, as the custodian of the Constitution and restrain, when the need arises, institutional misuse by an authoritarian and undemocratic executive, he added.

Making appeal to MPs and MLAs to vote in his favour, he also said that there is no whip issued by the parties in these elections, and the ballot is secret. The makers of the Constitution made this arrangement so that MPs and MLAs could exercise their individual judgment, he stated.