Parwano: Ramnath Kovind, BJP’s presidential candidate, today met party MLAs and MPs near Parwanoo at Timber Trail Resorts and sought their support.

Parwano: Ramnath Kovind, BJP’s presidential candidate, today met party MLAs and MPs near Parwanoo at Timber Trail Resorts and sought their support.

In his whirlwind two-hour stay, Kovind was introduced to the elected representatives by senior BJP leaders who had accompanied him and Union minister Venkaiah Naidu. He was welcomed by senior BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, Union Minister for Health JP Nadda , state in-charge Mangal Pandey and state president Satpal Satti. MPs Shanta Kumar and Anurag Thakur were not present.

Naidu later told mediapersons that Kovind, after assuming charge as Governor of Bihar, had desisted from being politically involved and had always worked as per the Constitution holding all political parties as equal. He said Kovind’s candidature had found overwhelming support from major political parties like the JDU, the AIADMK, the TRS, the YSR-Congress, the INLD, the BJD (U), the Naga People’s Front, the People’s Congress of Tripura which was in addition to 33 allies of the NDA.

He said the Congress was merely putting up a token contest as barring two or three state MPs and MLAs from majority of the states were supporting his candidature. He said the Congress’ slogan of voting as per one’s conscious would also favour Kovind as the Congress had a history of voting against their own presidential candidate in the past too when this slogan was raised.

He said the Congress had the right to contest but this was not a war of principles as was being professed by it as that battle has already taken place in 2014. He said this poll was contested on the strength of MPs and MLAs of various political parties and they had made up their mind while the Congress was unnecessarily trying to create a controversy.

Naidu said Kovind, who had a humble beginning, was receiving an overwhelming support. On the issue of recent attack on Amarnath pilgrims, he said Home Minister Rajnath Singh would convene a meeting of leaders of various political parties in Delhi tomorrow. He said such acts were condemnable and this issue should not be politicised. The people should get together to condemn it and the state as well as the Centre should work in unison to give the terrorists a befitting reply.

Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal and BJP president Satpal Satti assured Kovind of all support from the state and said even the independent MLAs Manohar Dhiman and Balbir Verma, who were present there would also support his candidature.