In a total unpredictable move, Modi-Shah duo has once again stunned the media houses and entire opposition with their latest move. While the media was busy developing their own theories about different names and there were articles ‘quoting’ the resources, NDA’s Presidential Candidate is nowhere close. Meanwhile, a tweet by @zanny_1985 has surfaced from 2016 which predicted Ramnath Kovind’s name and he stands sole winner in this game of prediction.
Moving on, who is Ramnath Kovind? What are the factors that prompted PM Modi to reach a conclusion of naming the sitting governor as the nominee for President on behalf of NDA? Take a look!
Born in a farmer family on October 1, 1945 in village Paraunkh of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Sh Ramnath Kovind studied to be a lawyer. Here are few facts about the potential President of India that answers “What qualifications does Ram Nath Kovind have to be the President candidate of India?”
1. Studied to become a lawyer:
A graduate from Kanpur college, Sh Ramnath Kovind studied to become a lawyer. A bright student in his college days, he moved to Delhi after completing his graduation.
2. Cleared civil services examination:
The main motive behind shifting to Delhi was to study for the civil services and crack the exam. Despite failing in his first two attempts, he happened to crack the prestigious examination in his third attempt. However, his rank was not good enough to clinch the post of IAS and was allotted allied services.
3. Enrolled as an Advocate in 1971 with Bar Council of Delhi:
After giving up on his dream of becoming an IAS, he returned to what he studied for in his college. In 1971, he got himself enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council in the capital.
4. Central Government Advocate in Delhi HC (1977–1979):
One of his first achievements came in 1977 when he was appointed as the Central Government Advocate in Delhi High Court. He served there for two years.
5. Central Government Standing Counsel in SC (1980–1993):
Life took another turn for him in 1980. He was now directed to represent the Government as the Central Government Standing Counsel in the Honourable Supreme Court of India. H.E. Sh Ramnath Kovind ji served on this post for thirteen long years.
6. Worked as PS to Morarji Desai:
This may come as a surprise to many but the President designate of India in 2017 had served as the Personal Secretary to former Indian Prime Minister Sh Morarji Desai ji. This offered him an opportunity to follow the proceedings of PMO closely.
7. Rajya Sabha MP for two terms from UP (1994–2000 and 2000–2006):
One of the most important credential in his name is his 12 years long tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh. His time as an MP exposed him to the functioning of the parliament. He also served as a member of several important parliamentary committees including the likes of Welfare of SC/ST and Social Justice and Empowerment. Needless to mention, this helped him incorporate the desired administrative experience to be in the top chair.
8. Represented India at UN in New York and addressed UNGA in October 2002:
During the tenure of Sh Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji as the Prime Minister of India, Ramnath Kovind had an opportunity to represent the country at an international stage. He did not just represent the country at United Nations in New York but also addressed the United Nations General Assembly in October 2002. This implies that the man set to be the next Indian President holds an experience of representing the country on an international stage as well!
9. Presently serving as Governor of Bihar:
71-year-old Ramnath Kovind is currently serving as the Governor of Bihar. His experience of monitoring a state played well on his side when it comes to picking up the right candidate for NDA.
10. Dalit – Apparently the only fact that media is interested in
You may appreciate this or not but the fact that Indian politics is based on caste is a reality. It will be wrong to expect NDA to stay out of it. Nominating a Dalit for the top chair will be an added bonus to the party’s upcoming campaigns. But to make it a sleazy affair like Media is currently doing is preposterous not just for the Man who is highly learned and has served the nation in different capacities but also for the entire Dalit Community
Other than this, Sh Ramnath Kovind has served as a Member of the Board of Management of Dr B.R. Ambedkar University, Lucknow and a Member of Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Coming from the RSS background, he has also headed the BJP Dalit Morcha for four years from 1998-2002. He was the President of All-India Koli Samaj.
The experience of representing India on an international forum added to his benefit. Ramnath Kovind is a well-informed man when it comes to law and constitution. He is also well versed with policy making since he worked closely with Sh Morarji Desai. He has also extensively worked in direction of providing free legal aid to the marginalised sections of the society especially women from SC and ST communities. His association with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has helped him understand the basic problems of millions of people of this country.
For now, no matter if you agree or disagree with this decision of the NDA but they have played their cards right. It can prove to be a masterstroke which is going to have a huge impact in the national politics for the time to come. It may be challenging for him to fill in the shoes of Pranab Da but his experience and wisdom can be of great value to the country.