Bihar Governor Kovind is set to be India's 14th president with the BJP announcing the little-known Dalit activist as its nominee for the country's top job.
Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind is set to be India's 14th president with the BJP today announcing the little-known Dalit activist as its nominee for the country's top constitutional job.
If elected, which appears to be a certainty, the 71- year-old former lawyer would be only the second Dalit to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan after K R Narayanan.
In a surprise move, the BJP announced that the low- profile Kovind was the National Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate for the July 17 poll.
"He was born in a poor family, comes from the Dalit community and has long struggled for the rights of the weaker sections. He has always been associated with the poor, backwards and Dalits... I am hopeful that there will be a consensus on his name," BJP president Amit Shah said at a press conference.
While the Opposition is considering a joint candidate, there are several non-NDA leaders who have expressed their support and left any hopes of a unified Opposition in tatters.
Modi, Kovind and Nitish Kumar (PTI)
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar expressed happiness over state Governor Ram Nath Kovind's candidature for the President's post, but stopped short of committing support to the NDA nominee.
"In my capacity as the Bihar Chief Minister, it is a matter of happiness that our Governor has been declared as the candidate for the next President of India," he told reporters after paying a courtesy call to Kovind at the Raj Bhawan, hours after the BJP announced his name as the NDA candidate for the presidential election.
Paying his gratitude to Kovind for serving Bihar, Kumar said the former has served with distinction during his tenure as the state's Governor.
"I came to pay a courtesy call to the Governor as he is set to leave for the national capital. I am bound to pay my respect to him (Kovind) after declaration of his candidature for the post of the President India," the chief minister said.
Kumar, the JD(U) national president, however, refused to commit any support to the NDA's presidential candidate, saying it would not be appropriate to comment on the issue.
"It will not be fair to answer this question as discussion will soon take place among opposition leaders on the issue of a candidate for the President's post," he said, skirting a volley of questions by reporters.
Telangana CM KTR (File Photo)
Meanwhile, the TRS also supported Kovind’s candidature. Soon after Ram Nath Kovind's candidature was announced for the president's post on behalf of the NDA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and requested his support, the CM's office said in a release.
The PM told the CM "as per your (the chief minister's) suggestion, we have decided upon a Dalit candidate for the presidential post," and requested his support for the candidate, the release said.
Immediately after receiving Modi's call, the chief minister consulted his party colleagues. "Later, he conveyed his party's support for the presidential candidate to the PM," it said.
TRS floor leader in Lok Sabha, A P Jithender Reddy, told PTI, "After Amit Shah declared the candidate, Prime Minister Modi called up Mr KCR -- the first person to be telephoned by Modi after the decision -- and asked him for the support and KCR has very openly said that as he is a Dalit leader and is a very good person, we whole-heartedly support him."
BSP supreme Mayawati (File Photo)
Then BSP leader Mayawati also said her party, which was recently trounced by the BJP would back Kovind’s elevation. BSP boss Mayawati said her party is positive about the NDA nominating Ram Nath Kovind for the presidential election but wished the ruling alliance had named a non-political Dalit candidate for the top post.
"Although Kovind has been associated with the RSS and the BJP from the beginning but since he is a Dalit, our party's stand towards him cannot be negative. It will be positive, provided Opposition parties do not field any Dalit for the post who is more capable and popular than him," she told newspersons here.
"Kovind is not the first Dalit who has been brought forward for the post of president... K R Narayanan, a Dalit, had also been president," she said.
The BSP chief, however, stressed that it would have been better had the Opposition parties been taken into confidence on the choice.
"Had the BJP and NDA brought any non-political Dalit for the post, it would have been better," she said.
Mayawati said she was informed by senior BJP leaders Amit Shah and Venkaiah Naidu over phone that Kovind, who belonged to Dalit caste, will be NDA candidate for the post of the president.
"But his introduction is that he is a member of Kori caste who are very less in number in the country and he has been associated with the RSS and the BJP since the beginning and so I do not agree with his political background," she added.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik (File Photo)
Kovind also found support in the Eastern part where while Mamata Banerjee raged against the appointment, BJP president and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced his support.
"After discussing with senior party leaders, BJD has decided to support the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind," Patnaik told reporters after receiving a telephone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Elaborating the reasons behind BJD's support to the NDA candidate, Patnaik said Ram Nath Kovind is an eminent lawyer belonging to the scheduled caste community.
"The office of the President of India is above political consideration and Biju Janata Dal wants to keep it above the politics," he said.
Stating that the prime minister spoke to him about the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind, Patnaik said, "He (PM) sought BJD's support in this regard."
"As you know, the last time when presidential elections were held, BJD had proposed the name of P A Sangma, an eminent leader from the tribal community. Based on the request of BJD, many parties including the BJP had supported his nomination," he said.
Asked whether BJD supported the NDA candidate out of any pressure, party spokesman dismissed it and said "We continue to maintain equal distance from both BJP and Congress. The post of the President of India is above party politics." Even as several regional parties either indicated their support or opposition to the NDA's presidential pick, Patnaik initially kept everyone guessing as regards his party's stance on the issue saying he will first discuss the matter with senior party leaders.
Out of the 21 Lok Sabha MPs from Odisha, 20 belong to the BJD. The party has eight members in the Rajya Sabha, besides the support of an independent MP, and 117 MLAs in the state assembly.
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