By Anirudh Singla
The President House at Raisina Hill is all set to welcome a new face as Ram Nath Kovind is elected India?s 14?th President by an overwhelming majority of votes from the country?s lawmakers. Formerly the Governor of Bihar, the 71-year old won 2,930 votes that held a value of 702044 as opposed to former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar who polled 1,844 votes with a value of 367314. Mr Kovind will be the second Dalit leader and the first BJP member to become the President of India.?
The political history of the landslide victory
As he steps into the shoes of the likes of Dr Rajendra Prasad and Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam who were doyen in their respective fields, Mr Kovind has huge responsibility awaiting him. The 14th Presidential campaign has been relatively less political in nature with fewer controversies, fewer accusations, and negligible political mudslinging. Known as the ?Battle of Ideologies?, the presidential battle was heavily tipped on Mr Kovind?s side from the start due to more numbers supporting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Often, a consensus is one of the essentialities for a clear win. Mr Kovind?s clean record coupled with his caste was a major determinant of the mutual agreement amongst the host of non-NDA parties to support him. As Dharminder Kumar of the Economic Times puts it, ?Kovind’s election may be purely symbolic for a BJP trying to please lower castes, but it is not empty symbolism devoid of substance. It comes after concrete measures PM Modi and the BJP have taken to turn towards lower castes.?
Know your president
With 99% voting recorded on Monday, the Lok Sabha General Secretary and Returning Officer for the poll, Anoop Mishra was quoted as saying that this was the highest percentage ever recorded. Known for his non-conformational working style and law-abiding nature, Kovind has also been termed as unbiased in his decision-making capabilities. A strict disciplinarian and an avid reader, Kovind?s strong legal background also acts as an added advantage for legal advice to the Indian government.?Mr Kovind cleared the Indian Administrative Services in his third attempt, but chose allied services and started practising law. Having practised in the Supreme Court and the High Court, Mr Kovind has also represented India in the United Nations and has addressed the General Assembly in 2002. Former president of the BJP Dalit Morcha and a member of the Rajya Sabha, Mr Kovind was also the President of the All-India Koli Samaj and was a strong advocate of the Dalit community.
The Indian Economist wishes Mr Ram Nath Kovind a successful term and hopes that his next five years in office will bring the best out of the current administration.
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