By IANS
Kolkata : Pratibha Patil, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) presidential nominee, met Congress and Left legislators in the West Bengal Assembly Friday to seek their votes while pledging to stand steadfast in her commitment to citizens of India and secularism.
“The 2007 presidential election is significant because for the first time in the 60 years since our independence we are going to have a woman president,” Patil, who arrived here from Delhi by a special flight to campaign for the July 19 presidential poll, said.
She met state assembly speaker Hasim Abdul Halim, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) members and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. Patil later met the Congress and Left legislators collectively.
The presidential candidate visited the assembly amid a Trinamool Congress protest with posters against the chief minister over the ongoing land acquisition issues in Singur and Nandigram.
“Secularism is a fundamental component of our constitution and it underlines the unity in diversity of India,” Patil said as she swore by the constitution of India.
“In my 45 years of public life I have faced many challenges. Some baseless charges have been brought against me. But I remain steadfast in my commitment to the citizens and the country,” she said.
Patil also said the economic growth of the country should be all-inclusive, taking the poor, the Dalits and the minority together.
She thanked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Left leaders for backing her. She later left for Guwahati.
Patil was received at the by Congress leaders Margaret Alva, Santosh Mohan Dev, P.R. Chavan and Jayanti Natarajan.