'President's post above parties': Ram Nath Kovind files nomination papers in presence of PM Modi, Amit Shah

In presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and most BJP-led NDA Chief Ministers,​ Ram Nath Kovind on Friday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Presidential election.

Regional parties such as the AIADMK, BJD, TRS and JD(U) have announced their support to the Dalit leader.

BJP President Amit Shah and party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were present during the filing of nominatons.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami were among those present.

After filing nomination, Kovind said, "I am thankful to all those who have supported me. I will try to maintain the dignity of the post."

He also said that ever since he became the Governor, he doesn't belong to any political party. "President's post above party," he said

A group of opposition parties has announced former Speaker Meira Kumar, also a Dalit leader, as their candidate against Kovind. The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have backed Kumar.

The election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20. The term of President Pranab Mukherjee ends on July 24.

The first Dalit President was K R Narayanan, who was in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 1997-2002.

A low profile Dalit leader who held various organisational positions in the BJP, Kovind, 71, was made the Bihar Governor in 2015 after the NDA came to power in May 2014.

He enjoys a clean reputation and has steered clear of any controversy in his over 26-year-old political career. His Dalit background makes him a sound political choice for the saffron party working overtime to woo Dalits.