New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind is all set to take oath as India's 14th President on Tuesday at a ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, Ambassadors and other diplomats, MPs and senior civil and military officers will be among those present. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and many other senior leaders will also grace the event.
Oath ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan: All you need to know
Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and President-elect will arrive in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession, where Kovind will be administered oath by Chief Jusitce of India J. S. Khehar. He will then exchange seats with Mukherjee. A 21-gun salute will be given in his honour and the new president will then deliver his address. After the ceremony ends, the new President will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan where an inter-services guard of honour will be given to him in its forecourt. Mukherjee will leave for his new address - 10 Rajaji Marg.
Special guests at Kovind's swearing-in ceremony:
Eight members of the President-elect's family reached national capital last night by the Shram Shakti Express. Kovind's elder brother Pyarelal, sister-in-law Vidyawati, cousins Deepak, Pankaj, Shivkumar, Hemlata and Kamlesh, and Alok, the elder brother's son-in-law, will be present at the swearing-in ceremony. Kovind's sister-in-law carried with her 'Rasiaur', a sweet dish made with rice and sugarcane juice, and 'Laddus', which are among Kovind's favourite foods
"I will also prepare 'Kadhi' in the Rashtrapati Bhawan as Kovind is very fond of it," Vidyawati said. Kovind has also invited three of his friends -- Satish Chandra Misra, Madhusudan Goel and Dr Jai Gopal to attend the oath-taking ceremony.
School, college to celebrate:
Thrilled over one of their own ascending to the top-most constitutional post in the country, the management of the BNSD Intermediate College, where President-elect Ram Nath Kovind has studied has decided to illuminate the premises and organise a community feast on Tuesday. The college is also busy making preparations for a live telecast of the oath-taking ceremony for its enthusiastic students and staff members. Principal R C Singh said the students and teachers would also distribute sweets in and outside the college.
Result:
On July 20, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Ram Nath Kovind was elected as the new President of India, securing a massive margin over his United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rival Meira Kumar in a straight fight. In an electoral college of 4,986 voters with a vote value of 10,98,903, Kovind got 2,930 votes carrying a value of 7,00,244, while the former Lok Sabha Speaker secured 1,844 votes with a value of 3,67,314. While Kovind got 65.65 per cent of the total valid vote value of 10,69,358, Meira Kumar got 34.35 per cent.
Announcing the election of Kovind as the 14th President, Returning Officer and Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra said Kovind had got the required votes under the quota allotted to him in the transferable vote system under the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections Act.
"I declare Ram Nath Kovind as duly elected to the Office of President," he said.
