New Delhi: NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind filed his nomination papers on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states.
"I am thankful to all those who have supported me, will try to maintain the dignity of the post," the former Bihar governor said after filing his papers.
While addressing the media, Kovind assured to maintain sanctity of the top post if he is elected as the nest President of India. He said, “Will strive to keep President's post above party politics, adding that “I will do my best to maintain dignity of the high office of the President.”
"Ever since I became governor, I don't belong to any political party. The post of President is above party politics," he maintained.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) patriarch LK Advani, along with other senior party leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu others were also present.
Kovind filed his nomination at Parliament House.
All chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and its allies except Manohar Parrikar of Goa and Mehbooba Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir were present.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami were among those present.
Four sets of nomination papers have been prepared and each were signed by Modi, Shah, Telugu Desam Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Besides the NDA's constituents, which comprise over 48.6 percent of votes in the electoral college that will elect the next president, regional parties such as the AIADMK, BJD, TRS and JD(U) have announced their support to the Dalit leader, making his win an almost foregone conclusion.
Kovind is all set to sail through the July 17 presidential election as he is guaranteed to get more than 61 percent of the vote.
Opposition announces Meira Kumar as presidential nominee
Former Lok Sabha speaker and senior Congress leader Meira Kumar, a Dalit, was on Thursday announced Opposition's candidate to take on NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind for Presidential election.
The counting of votes will take place on July 20. The term of President Pranab Mukherjee ends on July 24.
The decision was taken after 17 Opposition parties met in the national capital on Thursday to pick their candidate.
