After seeking support for his candidature in Uttar Pradesh, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Presidential candidate Ramnath Kovind arrived in the provisional State capital of Uttarakhand on Monday.
He was received by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and his ministerial colleagues at the airpot.
Sources said majority of the 57 MlAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party were present on the occasion along with various party leaders. Apart from the party MlAs, the party’s MPs including Mala Rajya laxmi Shah and Union Minister Ajay Tamta were also present on the occasion.
The other three MPs, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ were reportedly absent as they were out of station. At the public meeting hall in the CM’s residence, the NDA’s presidential candidate was felicitated by the Chief Minister in the presence of the State Cabinet members, MlAs and other party leaders. Sources further stated that Kovind interacted with the Ministers, MlAs and MPs of the party during the programme.
Apart from the party MlAs, two Independent MlAs — Pritam Singh Panwar and Ram Singh Kaida, who were also present in the meeting, also expressed their support for the NDA presidential candidate. Panwar told the mediapersons that the BJP had invited him to the meeting while the Congress has not made any such communication with him.
later during the day, Kovind was also felicitated at a programme by the BJP State president Ajay Bhatt.
It is pertinent to mention here that out of the 70 elected MlAs in the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, 57 are from the BJP. In addition to the MlAs, the BJP also has five lok Sabha members from Uttarakhand. The combined vote value of the State’s legislature in the presidential election is stated to be 4480 while the vote value of the MPs is 640 each.