BJP has announced the name of its veteran Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind as the presidential candidate. He is the current governor of Bihar and former president of BJPs SC/ ST cell. BJP has many other Dalit faces too, but it chose 71-year-old Mr. Kovind because he is a supreme court lawyer, two times Rajya Sabha MP, and is known as a grassroots political organizer.
BJP president Amit Shah and PM Modi both praised him for his commitment towards the upliftment of the marginalized and his service towards weaker sections of the society.
Mr. Kovind is from Kanpur originally and is the son of a farmer.
By announcing the name of a Dalit face, BJP has made it difficult for other parties to declare names of their candidates, unless they also come up with Dalit names. Mr. Kovind maintains a low profile and is not very media savvy.
PM Modi has spoken to Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh and BJP is sure of a consensus to send Ram Nath Kovind to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Mr. Kovind is relatively unknown to many due to his reclusive nature, and this may add up to a big advantage in his favor. There will be opposition too, but in the absence of any rival contender, he seems to be in a highly safe position.
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