 "Ram Nath Kovind, Narendra Modi")
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday flummoxed the Opposition by putting up current Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind — a 71-year-old Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh — as presidential candidate.
BJP President Amit Shah announced Kovind’s name after the party’s parliamentary board meeting in the morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Congress President Sonia Gandhi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh, as well as Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, to inform them about the choice. Patnaik said his party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), would support Kovind.
The choice of a Dalit candidate was a well thought-out, said observers. This could
