Ram Nath Kovind Bagged 21 States to Become India’s 14th President
As the counting begins, find out who’s ahead in the 14th Indian presidential race – Meira Kumar or Ram Nath Kovind?
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NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind defeated Opposition’s candidate Meira Kumar to officially become the 14th President of India. He will be sworn in on 25 July.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Ram Nath Kovind, congratulates him on becoming India’s 14th President
- NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind wins the race to Raisina Hill
- Kovind won the election by a vote value of 3,34,730, with Meira Kumar having been limited to a vote value of 3,67,314
- Kovind got the votes of 522 Members of Parliament while Kumar bagged the votes of 225 MPs in the presidential election
- The fight was between Kovind and Opposition’s Meira Kumar
Kovind Led in 21 States
The states where Kovind trounced Meira Kumar are:
- Andhra Pradesh (171 votes to nil)
- Arunachal Pradesh (56-24)
- Assam (91-35)
- Bihar (130-109)
- Chhattisgarh (52-35)
- Goa (25-11)
- Gujarat (132-49)
- Haryana (73-16)
- Jammu and Kashmir (56-30)
- Jharkhand (51-26)
- Madhya Pradesh (171-57)
- Maharashtra (208-77)
- Manipur (37-19)
- Nagaland (56-1)
- Odisha (127-17)
- Rajasthan (166-34)
- Sikkim (28-1)
- Tamil Nadu (134-98)
- Telangana (97-20)
- Uttarakhand (59-11)
- Uttar Pradesh (335-65)
Kovind's Vote Share Lowest Since 1974
Ram Nath Kovind might have won the presidential election comfortably, but his vote share is the lowest since 1974, figures reveal.
According to Election Commission data, Kovind's immediate predecessor Pranab Mukherjee (2012) secured 69.31 percent votes while Pratibha Patil (2007) got 65.82 percent of the total votes.
K R Narayanan (1997) and A P J Abdul Kalam (2002) bagged 94.97 percent and 89.57 percent respectively, the highest victory percentages since 1974. Only Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, in 1977, was elected unopposed to the top constitutional post. Gyani Zail Singh (1982) got 72.73 percent votes, while R Venkatraman (1987) bagged 72.28 per cent. Shankar Dayal Sharma (1992) got 65.87 percent.
Besides Narayanan, only two presidents – Rajendra Prasad (98.99 per cent) in 1957, and Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan (98.24 per cent) in 1962 – secured over 90 percent of the votes. In the first presidential election, Prasad bagged 83.81 votes.
'Never Thought He Would Become President': Kovind's Wife
“Never thought he would become President but he has risen through hard work and honesty,” said a delighted Savita Kovind after her husband Ram Nath Kovind was elected as the country's next president.
Daughter Swati Kovind was equally ecstatic, saying she is proud of her father’s human qualities – as a loving parent and a caring person.
“It is a very proud moment for us. The country is celebrating. He has been connected with people through social work and also when he was the Bihar governor. We are all delighted,” she said.
Outgoing President Mukherjee Congratulates Kovind
Modi Meets Kovind, Congratulates Him
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President-elect Ram Nath Kovind in Delhi, congratulated him on his victory.
Leaders Congratulate Kovind
Several politicians including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar congratulated Kovind on becoming the new President.
Kovind's Village Bursts Into Celebrations
Paraunkh, the ancestral village of Ram Nath Kovind, burst into celebrations after he was declared the President.
Paraunkh residents distributed sweets and celebrated with gulal.
"The Fight For Ideology Not Over," Says Meira Kumar
Opposition’s presidential candidate Meira Kumar congratulated Ram Nath Kovind on becoming the President of India.
She added, though, that her “battle for ideology has not ended” and that “it will continue.” She also thanked everybody who voted for her and those who unanimously made her the candidate for the election.
Kovind Addresses Media
An emotional Ram Nath Kovind addressed the media on Thursday, his first since becoming the new President of India.
He said he is overwhelmed by the support and that this was a very emotional moment for him. He added that his love for the country and desire to do something for the society is what has brought him till here in his journey.
Prime Minister Modi Gets Nostalgic, Shares Old Photos With Kovind
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter minutes after Ram Nath Kovind was declared as India’s new President, to share old photos with him.
Prime Minister Modi Congratulates Kovind
The Cross Voting Debate
After the results were announced, reports surfaced that the voting was marred by cross voting, basically implying that in various states, many opposition members favoured Kovind.
“I would like to thank 116 MPs and MLAs of the other side who listened to their conscience and voted in favour of Kovind ji,” BJP’s Bhupender Yadav said.
Gujarat was one one of states were cross voting happened, according to NDTV. “Out of 57 Congress MLAs in Gujarat, 49 voted for Meira Kumar, the candidate their party was backing,” it reported on Thursday.
Kovind Wins Over 65% Votes
In an electoral college of 4,986 voters with a vote value of 10,98,903, Kovind got 2,930 votes carrying a value of 7,00,244, while the former Lok Sabha Speaker secured 1,844 votes with a value of 3,67,314.
While Kovind got 65.65 percent of the total valid vote value of 10,69,358, Meira Kumar got 34.35 percent.
Kovind got the votes of 522 Members of Parliament while Kumar bagged the votes of 225 MPs in the presidential election.
Ram Nath Kovind Becomes 14th President of India
NDA’s Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind has become the 14th president of India.
Mamata Sends Early Congratulations to Kovind
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to send early congratulations to Ram Nath Kovind.
Kovind Surges Ahead With 1,389 Votes
Kovind gets 1,389 votes with value of 4,79,585 while Meira Kumar gets 576 votes with value of 2,04,594 after counting in Parliament House and 11 states.
I'm a Fighter, Says Meira Kumar
With Kovind leading in the first round of counting for the presidential polls, Meira Kumar said she is “not upset”.
Kovind Leads With Over 60,000 Votes
NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind leads with 60,683 votes. The Opposition’s nominee, Meira Kumar, is at 22,941 after votes were counted in Assam, Arunachal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, said Returning Officer Anoop Mishra.
Kovind's Village Prays for His Win
People in Paraukhan village of Uttar Pradesh, from where NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind hails, offer prayers in anticipation of his win.
It's Like Any Other Day for Me, Says Meira Kumar
Moments after the vote counting commenced, Opposition’s presidential candidate Meira Kumar told media that she fought the electoral battle with “great belief and confidence” in the ideology she believes in.
She added: “I believe in the voice of conscience. Let us see how much it prevails.”
On being asked about pre-result jitters, she said “it’s like any other day for me”.
Presidential Vote Counting Begins
The counting of ballots in the 17 July presidential election is currently on and will decide the fate of two contenders – the ruling NDA’s candidate Ram Nath Kovind, who has a clear edge, and the combined Opposition nominee Meira Kumar.
Officials said on Wednesday that all preparations have been made for the vote count and that all ballot boxes have already reached Parliament House by Tuesday evening amid tight security.
99% Voting Recorded for Presidential Polls
Polling to choose the 14th President of India, as the incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee demits office on 24 July, was held simultaneously at 32 polling stations – one in Parliament House and one each in 29 state assemblies and two union territories with assemblies. Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra is the Returning Officer for the election, and will issue the certificate to the winning candidate.
Close to 99 percent voting was recorded for electing the 14th President of India. The numbers are stacked in favour of the ruling coalition's nominee Ram Nath Kovind over the Opposition's candidate Meira Kumar.
Thirty-two polling stations, including the one in Parliament house, had been set up in various states.
While the value of an MLA's vote depends on the population of the state he or she belongs to, the value of an MP's vote remains the same at 708.
(With inputs from IANS, PTI and ANI.)
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