It was some sort of 'Sons and lovers' sort of tale! When BJP-led NDA's Presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind's special plane landed at Amousi airport here on Sunday evening, it was reminding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words during the UP Assembly polls campaign that he was an 'adopted' child of UP.
"Main UP ka bachcha hoon, aur main yahan ke hi MPs aur MLAs se vote maangkar apna chunav abhiyaan shuru karna chahta hoon (I am starting my campaign from UP as I hail from this very place and seeking support of the electoral college comprising the MPs and MLAs from here)," he straightaway said, after being received by chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik.
After reaching the official residence of chief minister at Kalidas Marg here – along with Union minister Nitin Gadkari and his official representative for the Presidential election Bhupendra Singh Yadav, Kovind interacted with a host of senior party leaders including Union ministers Uma Bharti, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met with UP Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.
Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao adjoining Kanpur from where Kovind hails, was also present. Seeking support from the members the Electoral College BJP Ranjya Sabha MP Bhupendra Yadav urged, "He (Kovind) will now visit Uttarkhand and other states."
Guaranteeing Kovind's victory, Uma Bharti said that Kovind would get a thumping victory over his rival and Congress-led Opposition nominee Meira Kumar and avouched that he would get more than 62 per cent vote share of the Electoral College.
However, while talking to other senior party people, they counted the vote percentages in more than 65 per cent with the recent support of regional non NDA parties like, JDU, BJD, AIADMK, TRS,TDP, YSRCP and Naga Peoples' Front.
BJP sources said a Union minister, a senior organisation leader from the party and two MPs would accompany Kovind during his nationwide tour to reach out to all members of the Electoral College. Though his meeting would be with the supporting MPs and MLAs, Kovind would make an appeal to all the members of the Electoral College in every state to support him. The saffron quarters are in touch with other regional party leaders also to make the last minute touch up ahead of the upcoming race for the Raisina Hills.
The party is not only claimed Kovind as a 'moderate' candidate, what oppositions opted for, but also claimed that there is a social message the party wanted to convey after the UP elections by playing the 'Dalit Card'.
Kovind, if elected, will be the second Dalit to occupy the highest constitutional office, after K R Narayanan.
The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20. While Kovind filed his nomination papers in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA chief ministers in New Delhi on June 23, Kumar is yet to file hers.