Kovind: Will be Prez above politics

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 23

Amid a massive show of strength by the ruling BJP, NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind today filed the nomination papers for the July 17 elections for the top constitutional post in the country.

Kovind will kickstart his state-wise tour to seek support from home ground Uttar Pradesh on June 25, but his outreach to the electoral college in the Opposition began soon after he filed the papers. He was flanked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, party patriarchs LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi and an array of NDA Chief Ministers and leaders from non-BJP-non-Congress Opposition parties TRS and AIADMK. 

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Asserting that the President’s office was above party  politics, Kovind said ever since he became the Governor of Bihar, he stopped belonging to any political party. “It is my belief that the post of President is above party politics and I will strive to keep it so,” he said, appealing “to all members of the electoral college for support”.

“I will do my best to maintain dignity of the high office of the President,” said the 71-year-old former head of BJP’s Dalit Morcha, who is almost certain to pip UPA’s contender Meira Kumar in the race to the Raisina Hill. 

Akali patron Parkash Singh Badal, TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu and LJP supremo Ram Vilas Paswan were present on the occasion. However, conspicuous by absence were leaders from the party which has been by the BJP since 1989 — Shiv Sena. Saffron leaders attributed its absence to a “communication gap”. Sena MP Anandrao Adsul (Amravati) had signed one of the nomination sets at the residence of senior BJP leader Anantha Kumar, they said, dismissing “non-issue” speculations on the absence. “The Sena has given complete support to Kovind,” they said.

The Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states, with the exception of Goa’s Manohar Parrikar, were there to lend support to Kovind. Also lending support were the Opposition party leaders — Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and Tamil Nadu CM EK Palaniswami. 

The Nitish Kumar-led JD (U) has expressed support to the NDA nominee but stayed away on the day three sets of nomination papers (two in English and one in Hindi), were filed. The fourth set was not submitted.