They will be present when BJP candidate for presidential elections Ram Nath Kovind files his nomination on Friday.
I will strive to keep President's post above party politics: Ram Nath Kovind.
In Arunachal Pradesh, despite differences, the BJP's estranged ally People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) has also chose to support Kovind. While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister EK Palaniswami and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhara Rao will grace the occasion, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who announced support for Kovind, will give the event a miss.
The non-NDA parties that are supporting Kovind are JD (U) with 1.91 per cent of the votes, AIADMK, 5.39 per cent, BJD with 2.99%, TRS, 2%, YSRCP, 1.53% and INLD with 0.38%.
A group of opposition parties on Thursday announced that former Speaker Meira Kumar, also a Dalit leader, would be their joint candidate against Kovind.
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Kovind looks set to get more than 61 per cent of the votes, and the final tally may increase depending on how some still-undecided regional parties vote, BJP sources said. The counting of votes will take place on July 20.
President Pranab Mukherjee's term ends on July 24. In his media interaction, Paneerselvam said an "opportunity" has been provided for a member of the dalit community to be elected to the president's office, and "for providing that opportunity (to Kovind), we have chose to support him".
The first was K. R. Narayanan, who was in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 1997-2002.
Meanwhile, in Congress ruled state of Meghalaya, the National People's Party (NPP), also an ally of the NDA government at the centre and BJP led government in Manipur, has extended its support to the NDA candidate and it is likely that the former ally of the MUA government, NCP will vote against the UPA candidate. His Dalit background makes him a sound political choice for the saffron party working overtime to woo Dalits.
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