While travelling in a plane to Delhi, Ramnath Kovind likely to be the next President of India, told of his nomination by the BJP, “It’s a duty, let’s take it as such.”
This 71 year old man son of a farmers candidature scores several important points for the ruling party. He is seen as a committed BJP worker, so the party has rewarded one of its own. He is a farmer’s son who rose through the party ranks – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underscored his modest background.
He is a Dalit, which signals the BJP’s commitment to the caste that it has been wooing across different states and makes it very tough for other parties to object to his promotion.
Kovind, a two-time parliamentarian, was made Governor of Bihar in 2015. Unlike in other states, where Chief Ministers have accused Governors of working to promote the interests of the centre, Bihar has seen an amicable relationship between Mr Kovind and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who visited him in person this evening to congratulate him on his candidature.
Asked if he ever aspired to Rashtrapati Bhavan, Governor Kovind said told “I wasn’t thinking in those terms. I was busy, working here, quite satisfactorily.”
