From Kanpur to Raisina Hills; Ram Nath Kovind elected as India's 14th president

FP Staff • July 21, 2017, 10:53:43 IST

NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind was elected as the 14th President of India after receiving an overwhelming majority of votes from the country’s lawmakers.

NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind was on Thursday elected as the 14th President of India after receiving an overwhelming majority of votes from the country’s lawmakers. PTI

Kovind polled 7,02,044 votes out of 10,90,300 in the Electoral College, while his rival Meira Kumar, the joint Opposition candidate, secured 3,67,314 votes. PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him and expressed happiness over the extensive support that he got. He also shared an old picture with Kovind, with the caption “always been a privilege to know you”. PTI

Along with BJP chief Amit Shah, he felicitated the President-elect at his residence. Amit shah said that his win is a victory for the poor, downtrodden and the marginalised. PTI

Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ananth Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan and Harsh Vardhan also greeted Kovind at his temporary residence at 10 Akbar Road. PTI

Kovind thanked all those who supported him in his journey and said that the moment is emotional for him. He vowed to represent all those struggling to make a living. PTI

Praunkh, Kovind’s anancestral village in Kanpur also celebrated his victory. All the residents were seen greeting one another, distributing sweets and celebrating with ‘gulal’, while the children danced their excitement out. PTI