BJP Prez nominee to file papers today

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and top leaders of the BJP and alliance partners will be present when NDA’s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind files his nomination papers tomorrow for the July 17 elections.

Sources say Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Akali doyen Parkash Singh Badal and several NDA chief ministers will be present at the time of filing of the papers.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has reportedly spoken to all NDA Chief Ministers. Senior BJP leaders also remained engaged with Opposition leaders, who have expressed support to Kovind, to ensure their presence on the occasion.

Telangana CM and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao too is expected to be present when Kovind files the papers — four sets, each proposed by 50 MPs and MLAs and backed by as many.

Party spokesman GVL Narsimha Rao said the BJP had “forced the Congress to field Meira Kumar” as “the only reason Meira Kumar has been chosen is because of her Dalit credentials”.

So far, 29 candidates have filed nomination for the post, including Lalu Prasad, not the RJD leader but a resident from his state Bihar. He belongs to Jado Rahimpur village in Saran district.

Kovind today visited ailing former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to seek his blessings before the big day. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on June 29 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is July 1.