Ramnath Kovind will make an 'exceptional President', says PM Modi.
Hours after the BJP named Dalit leader and Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind as the NDA's candidate for the post of President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Kovind will make an exceptional President.
Kovind is likely to file his papers on June 23, BJP president Amit Shah said after a nearly two-hour meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board.
"I am sure Shri Ram Nath Kovind will make an exceptional President & continue to be a strong voice for the poor, downtrodden & marginalised," said Modi in a series of tweets.
"Shri Ram Nath Kovind, a farmer's son, comes from a humble background. He devoted his life to public service & worked for poor & marginalised. With his illustrious background in the legal arena, Shri Kovind's knowledge and understanding of the Constitution will benefit the nation," Modi said.
Announcing Kovind's name, BJP chief Amit Shah said that the saffron party hoped that the NDA's nominee would remain unchallenged as the choice and would be unanimously selected as the President of India.
Shah also informed that the BJP leaders have talked to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who told them that they would hold discussions over the Presidential nominee and proceed further.
The 71-year-old low profile Dalit leader, a two-term BJP Rajya Sabha member, is seen as an astute choice by the saffron party, which has been targeted by opposition parties over Dalit issues, and his election is almost a certainty as the ruling bloc with the support of some regional parties enjoys a majority in the electoral college.
K R Narayanan was the country's first Dalit president.
Meanwhile, the Telugu Desam Party, an ally of the NDA, welcomed the BJP's decision to put up Kovind as the alliance's candidate for the presidential election.
The Election Commission of India had started the process of filing the nomination for the fourteenth President of India on June 14. The nomination process will close in two weeks -- June 28. But the nomination of the BJP's presidential candidate is likely to be filed by June 23, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leaving for the US on June 24.
Voting will take place on July 17 from 10 am to 5 pm at the places of polling fixed under the rules. The result will be out on July 20.
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