Top Recommended Stories

Ram Nath Kovind 14th President of India, gets 65.56 per cent votes; remembers his impoverished childhood

It was a foregone conclusion that Kovind will win the election as he had the support of 40 political parties with an estimated vote value of 63 per cent. That he got more than 63 per cent clearly means that many members of the electoral college didn't vote according to their party lines.

Updated: July 20, 2017 5:23 PM IST

By Vaibhav Tiwari

Ram Nath Kovind
Ram Nath Kovind

New Delhi, July 20: NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind will be the 14th President of India. The Election Commission has officially announced the results of Presidential Election 2017. Kovind received 65.56 per cent of the vote value of the electoral college. He received votes of value 7 lakh 2 thousand and 44 whereas Opposition candidate Meira Kumar got votes of value 3 lakh 67 thousand 3 hundred and 14. This clearly means that he has won by an overwhelming majority.

After the announcement of the result, President-designate Kovind got emotional as he remembered his impoverished childhood. He said that during rains, he and his siblings would have a hard time as the thatched roof of his house would not shield them from the water. He said he was representative of the poor people of India. He said he never thought he would get the highest constitutional post of the country. But this was the result of his commitment to the nation.

You may like to read

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the President-elect for the win.

“Congratulations to Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji on being elected the President of India! Best wishes for a fruitful & inspiring tenure. Gladdened by the extensive support for Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji among MPs & across various states. I thank members of the electoral college,” he wrote on Twitter.

It was a foregone conclusion that Kovind will win the election as he had the support of 40 political parties with an estimated vote value of 63 per cent. That he got more than 63 per cent clearly means that many members of the electoral college didn’t vote according to their party lines. It must be noted that in presidential polls, no political party is allowed to issue whip and MLAs and MPs are free to vote according to their conscience. (Also read: Ram Nath Kovind Elected as 14th President of India, An Arduous Journey From Paraunkh to Raisina Hills)

Opposition’s joint candidate Meira Kumar got 34.35 per cent of votes. Her defeat was inevitable. However, she had said on Thursday that her fight was ideological in nature. Meira Kumar won in many states though. She was the winner in Puducherry, Delhi, West Bengal, Tripura, Sikkim, Punjab, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Kerala, Karnataka, and Himachal. Kovind was the winner in the rest of the states.Ram Nath Kovind will be sworn in by the Chief Justice of India, JS Khehar after the incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee demits office on July 24.

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.