Kovind Vows to Champion the Oppressed In Rashtrapati Bhawan

Kovind defeated the joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar with 65.65 percent of the votes in the Electoral College

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah greet Ram Nath Kovind on being elected as the 14th President of India

(Photo: PTI)

Ram Nath Kovind, the ruling NDA presidential candidate, was elected as India's 14th President with an overwhelming majority of votes from the country's lawmakers.

Kovind defeated the joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker, garnering 65.65 percent of the votes in the Electoral College, the Returning Officer for the poll announced.

Kovind said that he will enter the Rashtrapati Bhawan a representative all those who are oppressed.

Personally, this is a very emotional moment for me. Today, there may be many Ram Nath Kovinds who will be working hard in heavy rainfall hoping that they are able to earn enough for an evening meal. I want to tell them today that I will be their representative in the Rashtrapati Bhawan

Ram Nath Kovind, President-Elect, India

The 71-year old Kovind, former governor of Bihar, will be the second Dalit to hold the top constitutional position. 2,930 legislators voted for Kovind, giving him 7,02,044, votes.

Kovind is the first BJP member and the first UP-native to hold constitutional position.

He will take oath on 25 July, succeeding President Pranab Mukherjee, for a five-year term.

(With inputs from PTI)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj