President Election Result 2017: Ram Nath Kovind Will Take Oath As 14th President Of India On July 25

Nitish Kumar Likely To Attend Ram Nath Kovind's Oath Ceremony: Sources
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who broke ranks with the Opposition to support the NDA-backed presidential candidate, is likely to attend the oath ceremony of Ram Nath Kovind as India's 14th President at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on July 25.

Presidential Election 2017: Cross-Voting In Presidential Poll Flashes Warning Signs For Opposition
Ram Nath Kovind's election as the next president of India was never in doubt but the large scale cross-voting in seven states throws up a big worry for the opposition, especially ahead of polls in Gujarat later this year.

PM Modi's Blast From The Past

As Ram Nath Kovind becomes the President of India, PM Modi dug out an old photo of both of them, much younger, and tweeted it. Mr Kovind also admitted that it was an "emotional moment" for him.

Take a look at this photo of PM Modi with Ram Nath Kovind  from 20 years ago.

Opinion: What Modi Has Accomplished With Kovind's Election As President
The Mandal kamandal discourse that dominated Indian politics in the last three decades has finally come full circle with the election of Ram Nath Kovind as the new President of India. This is the first time in Indian history that the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister belong to the Dalit and OBC communities.

President-elect Ram Nath Kovind's daughter Swati said that people from "all over India are celebrating." She also said that "It is a proud moment" for her family.

Senior leaders and political parties congratulated Ram Nath Kovind for being elected the 14th President of India. Here are a few:

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated Ram Nath Kovind after he won the presidential election. Mr Singh wished President-elect Ram Nath Kovind "success and a great future".

NDA's Vice Presidential candidate Venkaiah Naidu congratulated Ram Nath Kovind for being elected the 14th President of India

Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated Ram Nath Kovind for being elected the 14th President of India.

Opposition's presidential candidate Meira Kumar, who lost the election to Ram Nath Kovind, thanked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other leaders who supported her. She said that "My fight for secularism, the oppressed & the marginalised continues. I thank all my well wishers for their support & good wishes."

Speaking after the result was declared, opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar said, "I congratulate Shri Ram Nath Kovind ji for becoming the President of India. My best wishes are with Shri Kovind ji as it has fallen upon him to uphold the Constitution in letter and spirit in these challenging times."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a 20-year-old photograph of himself with President-elect Ram Nath Kovind. The message along with the photograph read: "20 years ago and the present...always been a privilege to know you, President Elect"


(Photos: Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared two photographs with President-elect Ram Nath Kovind - One from 20 years ago, and another which was taken recently)

Know Your President

A brief history about President-elect Ram Nath Kovind:

1) Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit, is a farmer's son and in known for his humble origins and simple lifestyle.

2) Born on October 1, 1945, in Kanpur Dehat, Ram Nath Kovind is a commerce graduate. He pursued law from Kanpur University.

3) Mr Kovind practiced in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for more than 15 years.

4) He is married to Savita Kovind and has a son and a daughter.

5) Mr Kovind is the former president of BJP Dalit Morcha. He has also served as the BJP's national spokesperson.

6) He was also a two-time Rajya Sabha member from the state of Uttar Pradesh between 1994-2000 and 2000-06.

7) Mr Kovind had worked as a top aide to former Prime Minister Morarji Desai and has represented India at the United Nations in New York.

8) He has also been a member of several Parliamentary Committees, including the committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Social Justice and Empowerment, and Law and Justice.

9) He was appointed as the Governor of Bihar by the Centre three years ago. The septuagenarian became the 36th Governor of Bihar in August 2015. His appointment had surprised many state leaders and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had voiced his displeasure over not being consulted. Though, during his term in Bihar, Governor Kovind hadn't run into no controversy with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

10) If elected, he will be the second Dalit President after KR Narayanan to hold the nation's highest office.

Congratulating Ram Nath Kovind for his victory in the presidential election, BJP president Amit Shah said, "Congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovind ji for an emphatic victory in the 2017 Presidential elections. His victory is truly historic".


(Photo: President-elect Ram Nath Kovind with BJP president Amit Shah)

President-elect Ram Nath Kovind's Address To The Nation:

In his victory speech, Ram Nath Kovind reached out to the farmer and the common man. Mr Kovind said: "It has been raining in Delhi since the morning. Rains remind me of my village, of our kachcha home with walls of mud and a roof that could not repel water during the monsoon. My siblings and I used to stand and wait for the rains to end. Today there are many Ram Nath Kovinds who are getting wet in the rain, working hard, toiling in the fields for one square meal in the evening. Today I want to tell them that I will be their representative in the Rashtrapati Bhavan."


(Photo: President-elect Ram Nath Kovind's address to the nation after winning the presidential election. He will be sworn-in as the 14th President of India on July 25)