New Delhi: NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind was yesterday elected as the 14th President of India after receiving an overwhelming majority of votes from the country’s lawmakers. Kovind defeated Opposition candidate Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha Speaker after garnering 66 percent of the votes in the Electoral College, Returning Officer Anoop Mishra announced.
The 71-year-old, who will be the second Dalit to hold the top Constitutional position after K.R. Narayanan, received 2,930 votes with a value of 7,02,044. Kovind will be the first BJP member to be elected President. He will be sworn-in by the Chief Justice of India J.S.Khehar in the Central Hall of Parliament on July 25.
Meira polled in 1,844 votes with a value of 3,67,314. A total of 4,896 voters — 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs — were eligible to cast their ballot. The polling was marked by cross-voting in various States, namely Gujarat, Assam, Goa, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, where many Opposition members favoured Kovind.
In an address after the official announcement, Ram Nath Kovind thanked all those who supported him in his journey and said that the moment is emotional for him. He vowed to represent all those struggling to make a living. “I never aspired to be the President but my election is an evidence of the greatness of Indian democracy. My win is also a message to those discharging their duties with integrity,” he said.
Ram Nath Kovind also said that it is his duty to protect the Constitution and uphold its values as the President. “I pay my respects to my countrymen and assure them that I’ll serve the nation in the spirit of ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah’ (May all be happy),” he said.
This post was published on July 21, 2017 6:50 pm