Prime Minister Narendra Modi told leaders of the constituent parties of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) here on Sunday that the NDA’s presidential candidate, Ramnath Kovind, had the backing of 40 political parties.
He expressed satisfaction that the presidential campaign had been cordial and free from acrimony on both sides till now.
“Mr. Kovind has worked with former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. Now, I will get an opportunity to work with Mr. Kovind,” the Prime Minister reportedly said at the pre-monsoon session meeting of the ruling alliance, which happens to have come just before the election.
The ruling alliance’s candidate Mr. Kovind takes on the Opposition’s nominee Meira Kumar.
Mr. Kovind was present at the meeting, apart from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran L.K. Advani and party chief Amit Shah, Union Minister and Lok Jan Shakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan, the Shiv Sena’s Anandrao Adsul, and also leaders from other allied parties.
An NDA leader present at the meeting, who did not wish to be named, said Mr. Modi recounted how Mr. Kovind had been a lawyer and had also contributed to the party by working for it.
All NDA members were asked to vote in the presidential election and not waste their votes.
Vice-presidential poll
On Monday, members of the BJP’s Parliamentary Board, the party’s key decision-making body, will meet to discuss its choice for the vice-presidential poll. The Opposition has on its part already announced the name of Gopal Krishna Gandhi as its candidate.
Mr. Modi also asked MPs belonging to the ruling alliance to be present in Parliament to make full use of the session and not waste the opportunity.
He said that they should use the opportunity to take up important issues facing the country, a leader who attended the meeting said.
