Presidential Poll: NDA Candidate Ram Nath Kovind files nomination; appeals for support

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janta Party Presidential Candidate Ram Nath Kovind on Friday filed his nomination for the upcoming polls for 15th Presidential Elections of India which would be conducted in the country on July 17. Kovind, hand-in-hand with senior BJP leaders also addressed the media after filing his nomination and appealed to various parties to extend their support to him. After Kovind's nomination filing was over, UPA Presidential candidate Meira Kumar made a statement and said  that "opposition would fight for its principles", though Meira kept from making any statement against the opposition. Also, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lashed out at Congress for opposing Kovind's candidature and said, "Congress' 'anti-Dalit' face has been exposed after they have opposed Kovind's candidature for presidential polls". As Kovind reached Parlaiment, he was accompanied by BJP boss Amit Shah. Later he was joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP veteran LK Advani. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he will accompany NDA Presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind when he files his nomination for the July 17 election on Friday. "Will accompany Ram Nath Kovindji as he files his nomination papers," Modi tweeted.  

Will accompany Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji as he files his nomination papers today for the upcoming Presidential election.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 23, 2017

Kovind will be pitted against the opposition candidate Meira Kumar, who will file her nomination on June 27. President Mukherjee will demit office on July 25 and Vice President Hamid Ansari will complete his second tenure in August. The President is elected through an Electoral College that includes national and State legislators. Currently, there are 13 vacancies in the Electoral College and as many as 21 AAP MLAs are also eligible to vote. Kovind is set to compete Opposition’s candidate Meira Kumar, who has been a former Lok Sabha speaker. Meira’s name surfaced after JD-U's decision to support NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind. The Congress stepped up efforts to keep the opposition united as its top brass held discussions with the leaders of a host of other parties. Things to know about  Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind:

• Ram Nath Kovind was born on 1 October 1945 in a village in UP's Kanpur
• Kovind is a politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party-BJP
• He never landed himelf into any controversy and has a clean image
• He was elected to Rajya Sabha from state of Uttar Pradesh during the two terms of 1994-2000 and 2000-2006

• He had cleared the civil services exam and got allied service but did not take it up
• He is a former President of the BJP Dalit Morcha (1998-2002) and President of the All-India Koli Samaj