Margaret Alva says, ‘Can’t just say we don’t have numbers so we won’t fight election’

Although the chances are strongly against Margaret Alva, the joint opposition candidate for vice president, and because of the rising split among non-BJP parties, she has stated that she is not especially concerned and thinks the chances will always be in her favour.

 

‘We can’t just sit back and say we don’t have the numbers, so we won’t fight an election,’ she added. The former governor told PTI in an interview that Mamata Banerjee had ‘enough time’ to change her party Trinamool Congress’ decision to abstain from the contest with less than two weeks left before the August 6 vice presidential election.

 

The multiple-term parliamentarian also discussed her opinions on the changes in public life that she has seen over the years. ‘It is frightening when I look around,’ she said. ‘You cannot eat what you want, you cannot wear what you want, you cannot say what you want, you cannot even meet people you want. What is this time?’ she added.

 

Alva will begin her election campaign Monday afternoon, meeting with mps from various parties in the Central Hall of Parliament.