Tag: Ram Nath Kovind

Kovind-led Committee unanimously backs One Nation One Election, presents report to President Murmu

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former President Ram Nath Kovind-led committee advocates for the adoption of simultaneous elections, emphasising its potential to revolutionise the electoral process and governance. The committee’s report, submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, highlights key recommendations for implementing the ‘One Nation, One Election’.

The eight-member committee include Amit Shah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, NK Singh, Subhash C Kashyap, Harish Salve and Sanjay Kothari. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the committee meetings as a special invitee, while Law Secretary Niten Chandra will be the secretary to the panel.

Also read  | ‘It’s difficult but not impossible,’ ex-EC official on implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’

The proposal entails aligning state assembly elections with the Lok Sabha polls, aiming for synchronisation by 2029. The committee urges the government to enact necessary amendments to facilitate this transition.

A two-step approach

The committee proposes a phased implementation of simultaneous elections. Initially, elections will be synchronised for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. Subsequently, elections for Municipalities and Panchayats will align with the Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls.

Key recommendations

1. Notification of One Nation One Election to occur following General Elections.
2. Single electoral roll and Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) to be utilised across all tiers of government.
3. Elections following a no-confidence motion or a hung House should only fill the remaining term of the Lok Sabha.

Historical analysis

The report underscores the detrimental impact of desynchronised elections on the economy, polity, and society post-independence. It urges the government to establish a legally robust mechanism to reinstate simultaneous elections, suggesting that Constitutional amendments may not require separate state ratification.

Also read | ‘One Nation, One Election’ a long and winding process — key challenges explained

Benefits of simultaneous polls

The committee highlights the potential benefits of simultaneous elections, including:

1. Optimisation of resources and governance efficiency.
2. Mitigation of disruptions and policy paralysis due to the model code of conduct.
3. Enhanced voter turnout and engagement.
4. Facilitation of business continuity and reduced wage losses for migrant workers.

Broad consensus and consultations

The report, spanning 18,626 pages, is the culmination of rigorous consultations, expert opinions, and research conducted over 191 days since its inception on September 2, 2023. The report said 47 political parties submitted their views and suggestions in which 32 parties backed simultaneous elections.

Another 21,558 responses were received from citizens across the country and 80% of respondents supported simultaneous elections. The views of four former chief justices of India, 12 former chief justices of major high courts, four former chief election commissioners and the election commission were sought.

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One Nation, One Election to improve government efficiency, foster economic development: CII

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Expressing its support for simultaneous elections that would synchronize the electoral cycles at the central and state levels, industry body CII said ‘One Nation One Election’ would enhance governance efficiency, and foster economic development.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) presented its views to the High-Level Committee on One Nation One Election (ONOE) on Friday. The High Level Committee on One Nation One Election, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind held its fifth meeting.

“CII’s view was based on the economic benefits of streamlining the electoral process, that would enhance governance efficiency, and foster economic development,” the industry body stated.

It argued that asynchronous multiple elections lead to frequent disruption in policy making and administration, leading to uncertainty about the government’s policies.

“It also affects the working of the Government due to its officials being roped in for election duties. Investment decisions by the private sector tend to slow down prior to the elections,” said CII. “Further, it leads to delays in project implementation, as the Model Code of Conduct gets imposed,” it added.

The industry body emphasised that simultaneous elections, thus, offer a propitious solution by effectively reducing the project implementation delays and a likely cost savings of approximately half the total expenses incurred by the Central and State governments in administering elections.

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said, “In view of both the economic losses and the slowdown in policy-making CII suggests that India should revert to the cycle of simultaneous elections.

“CII believes there are two options of doing this ‘one is a single five-year cycle and the other is a two-stage simultaneous election with a gap of at least 2.5 years between the Lok Sabha elections and the state elections in the interim period”.

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One nation, one election not anytime soon? Panel headed by ex-president Kovind to explore possibility of Bill

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The central government has constituted a committee headed by ex-President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of ‘one nation, one election’, sources told news agency PTI on Friday. The statement came amid speculations that the government may introduce this bill in the upcoming special Parliament session this month.

However, the constitution of the committee may imply that there will be no bill in the special parliament session. Rather, it is likely that such advocacy by the former president will involve multiple conversations with other political parties and state governments over the matter. This process can’t be completed in a month.

As per News18, the panel will speak with stakeholders and take legal and political opinions over the Bill. They would require to speak with constitutional experts as well.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi announced on Thursday that the special session of Parliament will take place from September 18 to September 22. “Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) is being called from 18th to 22nd September having five sittings. Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament,” Joshi said on X.

With the government not spelling out its agenda, speculation swirled that the government may push some showpiece bills in the run-up to some key state assembly polls followed by the all-important Lok Sabha election.

What’s needed to implement ‘One Nation, One Election

‘One Nation, One Election’ refers to the idea of simultaneously holding the general and state elections. To implement this:

> There has to be an amendment to 1951 Representative Act
> Two-third majority in Parliament
> Passage of proposal by 50 percent of the states

Besides this Bill, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the Women’s reservation Bill are among the list of Bills likely to be introduced on the floor of the house.

It will be the first such special session under the nine years of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government which had convened a special joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to mark the midnight GST roll-out on June 30, 2017.

However, it will be a full-fledged session of five days this time with both Houses meeting separately as they usually do during sessions.

Generally, three parliamentary sessions are held in a year- Budget, Monsoon and Winter sessions.

The “surprise call” for the special assembly session drew flak from some Opposition leaders.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the announcement of the special session just three weeks after the end of the Monsoon session was aimed at managing “the news cycle” and countering the news about the ongoing meeting of INDIA parties in Mumbai and the latest revelations on Adani.  The Monsoon session of Parliament ended on August 11.

“Regardless, the JPC demand (on the Adani issue) will continue to resonate inside and outside Parliament,” the Congress MP added.

The last time Parliament met outside its three usual sessions was –at midnight on June 30, 2017, to mark the rollout of GST. However, it was a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and was not a proper session. A six-day special sitting was held in August 1997 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of India’s independence.

Midnight sessions were also held on August 9, 1992, for the 50th anniversary of the ‘Quit India Movement’, August 14-15, 1972 to celebrate the silver jubilee of India’s independence, while the first such session was on August 14-15, 1947 on the eve of India’s independence.

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Ram Nath Kovind Birthday: A look at the political career of the former president

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former President Ram Nath Kovind was born on October 1, 1945, at Paraunkh village, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. During his student days, Kovind fought for the rights of weaker sections such as the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. He graduated in law and commerce from Kanpur University and moved to Delhi to prepare for the Indian civil services examination.

After facing failure in the first two attempts, Kovind cleared the UPSC exam. As he was selected for allied services, he did not join the civil service and started working as an advocate, Indian Express reported.

On his birthday, here’s a look at his political journey

Life as an advocate

Till 1993, Kovind practised at the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court. From 1977 to 1979, he served as the central government advocate in the Delhi High Court. In the Supreme Court, Kovind was the central government standing counsel from 1980 to 1993. In 1978, Kovind was selected as the Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court.

Also Read: 21st century will be India’s, says President Ram Nath Kovind

Political career

Kovind, who has been associated with the RSS, served as the general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Koli Samaj in Kanpur and the national president of the BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1991 and was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha three years later in 1994 and again in 2006.

During his stint, he served on various committees such as the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Parliamentary Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, Parliamentary Committee on Law and Justice, Parliamentary Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas, Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs, and Chairman of Rajya Sabha House Committee, The Hindu reported.

In 2002, Kovind represented India at the United Nations and delivered a speech before the United Nations General Assembly. In 2015, he was appointed as the Governor of Bihar.

On July 25, 2017, Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as the 14th President of India.

Also Read: Lesser-known facts about Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India

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21st century will be India’s, says President Ram Nath Kovind

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said the 21st century will be India’s century. He expressed his gratitude to the citizens, MPs, and MLAs on the eve of demitting office. He recalled his five-year stint and urged people to stay connected to their roots.

“Five years ago, I was elected as the President through your elected people’s representatives. My term as the President is finishing today. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you, your public representatives,” said Kovind.

He recalled his tenure and the visit to his native village in his five-year term. He said he was born in a very ordinary family in Paraunkh village of Kanpur Dehat district, Uttar Pradesh, and held the highest post in the Constitution because of the power of the democratic system of the country.

During the five years of my term, I have discharged my responsibilities to the best of my ability. pic.twitter.com/2ejKxITz3k

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 24, 2022

“Staying connected to our roots is the specialty of Indian culture. I would request the younger generation to continue this tradition of being associated with their village or town and their schools and teachers,” added Kovind.

President-elect Droupadi Murmu will take oath of office of the highest constitutional post of the country on Monday followed by a 21-gun salute. The ceremony will be held at the central hall of Parliament at 10:15 am on Monday where Chief Justice of India NV Ramana will administer the oath of the office of the President to her.

Before the ceremony, the outgoing President and the President-elect will arrive in Parliament in a ceremonial procession. Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Members of the Council of Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, Members of Parliament and principal civil and military officers of the government will attend the ceremony.

Murmu, 64, scripted history on Thursday after defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in an one-sided contest. She would become India’s first tribal President.

She will be the first President to be born after independence and is the youngest to occupy the top post. She is also the second woman to become the President.

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PM Modi, Amit Shah, other leaders congratulate Droupadi Murmu on becoming India’s President: ‘Her victory augurs well for democracy’

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Greetings poured in for Droupadi Murmu as she was declared India’s 15th President on Thursday.  Top ministers and leaders took to social media to congratulate her on her big win in the presidential polls held July 8.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh  visited her Delhi residence to congratulate her on becoming elected as the President of India.

PM Modi said Murmu’s exemplary success motivates each and every Indian and she has emerged as a ray of hope for our citizens, especially the poor, marginalised and the downtrodden. Thanking all those who supported Murmu’s candidature, PM Modi said, “Her record victory augurs well for our democracy.”

I would like to thank all those MPs and MLAs across party lines who have supported the candidature of Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her record victory augurs well for our democracy.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 21, 2022

In a tweet in Hindi, Amit Shah said the whole country, especially the tribal community is celebrating Droupadi Murmu’s historic victory.

श्रीमती द्रौपदी मुर्मू जी को देश के सर्वोच्च पद पर चुने जाने के ऐतिहासिक क्षण पर उनसे भेंट कर उन्हें बधाई दी।

राष्ट्रपति चुनाव में उनकी प्रचंड विजय पर पूरा देश विशेषकर जनजातीय समाज उत्साह व हर्षोल्लास के साथ जश्न मना रहा है। pic.twitter.com/tstOCfsd0p

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 21, 2022

Rajnath Sigh said her phenomenal rise from the grassroots level to the highest constitutional position is “proof of the strength of Indian democracy.”

राष्ट्रपति चुनाव में प्रभावी जीत दर्ज करने के लिए श्रीमती द्रौपदी मुर्मू जी को बधाई। वे गाँव, गरीब, वंचितों के साथ-साथ झुग्गी-झोपड़ियों में भी लोक कल्याण के लिए सक्रिय रहीं हैं।आज वे उनके बीच से निकल कर सर्वोच्च संवैधानिक पद तक पहुँची हैं।यह भारतीय लोकतंत्र की ताक़त का प्रमाण है।

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 21, 2022

Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu also congratulated Murmu on her historic win. Naidu, whose tenure ends in August, said her “deep understanding of people’s issues will greatly benefit the nation”.

Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Smt. Droupadi Murmu on being elected as the 15th President of India.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 21, 2022

Besides, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was among the first opposition leaders to congratulate Murmu.  “Congratulations and best wishes to Droupadi Murmu Ji on being elected as the 15th President of India,” Gandhi said.

Congratulations and best wishes to Smt. Droupadi Murmu ji on being elected as the 15th President of India.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 21, 2022

Congress president Sonia Gandhi said in a statement that she looked forward to meeting the 15th President of India soon. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described her victory as “grand and historic”.

Rival candidate in the Presidential election Yashwant Sinha also congratulated Murmu on her victory. “India hopes that as the 15th President of the Republic, she functions as the custodian of the Constitution without fear or favour,” Sinha wrote.

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The many odds that Droupadi Murmu overcame to be the first citizen of India

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Droupadi Murmu created history by becoming the first tribal woman to be the President of India. After taking oath as the 15th President of India on Monday, Murmu said, “Reaching the Presidential post is not my personal achievement, it is the achievement of every poor in India.”

I am the first President of the country who was born in independent India. We will have to speed up our efforts to meet the expectations that our freedom fighters had with the citizens of independent India: President Droupadi Murmu

(Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/dIkmQHqgiR

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022 

Early days

Murmu has always been known for her simplicity which comes from her humble beginnings, which is an antithesis of her challenger Yashwant Singh, a former BJP leader who hails from an upper caste family and was an IAS officer before joining politics.

Murmu was born on June 20, 1958, in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, to Biranchi Narayan Tudu, a farmer from Baldaposi village. Murmu belongs to the Santhal tribe of Odisha, which is spread over four states and is one of the country’s largest Scheduled Tribes after the Bhils and Gonds. Battling with poverty, her childhood had been full of challenges. Overcoming the odds, Murmu did her graduation in Arts from Ramadevi Women’s College in Bhubaneswar and worked as an honourary assistant professor at the Shri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research, Rairangpur. She was later appointed as a junior assistant in the irrigation department of Odisha.

ALSO READ: Presidential polls 2022 live updates: Droupadi Murmu leads against Yashwant after 1st round of counting

“I come from a society that is very rigid when it comes to perceptions about women and they would raise questions on any woman stepping outside the confines of their homes,” Economic Times quoted her as once saying.

Murmu started her political journey in 1997 with the BJP. She was elected as the councillor of Rairangpur district of Odisha in the same year. She also served as the vice-president of the BJP’s Scheduled Tribes Morcha. She was elected as the legislator twice, on a BJP ticket, in 2000 and 2009. Murmu also served as the transport and commerce minister of the state till 2002 and later made in charge of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

In 2015, she was appointed as the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She held the position until July 2021. In her capacity as the first tribal governor of the state, Murmu returned two controversial bills — the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act and the Chhotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act  — in view of the widespread unrest from tribes, who viewed the move as an attempt by the state to dilute their rights over their land, Deutsche Welle reported.

Murmu’s refusal to sign the amendments had forced BJP to rethink its strategy on the issue.

Personal tragedy

Murmu suffered a series of tragedies in her personal life. She lost her 25-year-old son in 2009 under mysterious circumstances, following which she turned towards spirituality. She had then joined the Brahma Kumaris movement. While she was recovering from her loss, Murmu lost her second son in 2013 in a road accident. The same month, Murmu’s brother and mother passed away, leaving the social worker-turned-politician devastated.

Despite successive losses, Murmu continued to work for social change. In 2014, she lost her husband Shyam Charan Murmu, a bank officer. Her daughter, Itishri Murmu, who works as a bank officer with the UCO Bank in Bhubaneswar, told the media that her mother showed “exemplary composure” in the face of challenges, Open Magazine wrote.

Not a surprise

When the NDA announced her candidature for the presidential election, it did not come as a surprise. Back in 2017, the BJP-led NDA had considered her for the post but settled for Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit party leader, instead.

Murmu is seen as a person who is accessible not just for politicians and officials but also for ordinary people, Open Magazine reported. She is unassuming and self-made and a quintessential candidate for the presidential post, who could strike a chord with the marginalised.

“Her rise epitomises a struggle, and she has worked her way up — a reflection of her political acuteness,” Ritambhara Hebbar, a professor at the Centre for Study of Developing Societies in Tata Institute of Social Sciences, told DW.

ALSO READ: Lesser-known facts about Droupadi Murmu, NDA’s presidential candidate

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Lesser-known facts about Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Droupadi Murmu took oath as the 15th President of India on Monday. A tribal leader from Odisha, Murmu was the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA’s candidate for this year’s presidential election. In the voting through secret ballot on July 18, she defeated Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in a one-sided contest.

Sixty four-year-old Murmu became the first Indian President from a tribal community, the first Indian President from Odisha, and the first President of India to be born after independence. Besides, she is also the second woman to hold the highest office in the country.

Here are some of the lesser known facts about her life:-

Murmu was born on June 20, 1958, in Mayurbhanj, Odisha. Her father, Biranchi Narayan Tudu was a farmer in the Baldaposi village of the district. She completed her graduation from Ramadevi Women’s College in Bhubaneswar. Subsequently, Murmu started working as an honourary assistant professor in the Shri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research, Rairangpur. Later, she was appointed as a junior assistant in the irrigation department of Odisha.

Her political journey started in 1997 when she joined the BJP. The same year, she was elected as the councillor of the Rairangpur district of Odisha — a seat reserved for tribals. She also served as the vice-president of the BJP’s Scheduled Tribes Morcha.

In 2000, Murmu won the assembly elections from the Rairangpur constituency. She was given the charge of the Department of Transport and Commerce by the then Biju Janata Dal government that was in power in Odisha with BJP’s support. She served as the transport and commerce minister till 2002.

In 2002, she was given the portfolio of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry. The same year, she was made the BJP district president for the Mayurbhanj district. While Murmu continued serving as the Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister till 2004, she remained Mayurbhanj district president for BJP till 2009. She was awarded the best MLA of the year award by the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

In 2009, she won from the Rairangpur constituency again and in 2010, she was again named as the BJP district president for Mayurbhanj. In 2013, Murmu was given the district president post for the third time.

In 2015, Murmu was made the Governor of Jharkhand. She was the first tribal governor of the state.

In 2017, she was considered the Presidential candidate when former President Pranab Mukherjee was set to leave the Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, the NDA later went with incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind.

As the NDA commands 48 per cent of the electoral vote, the chances of her winning the Presidential election are fairly good.

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Fresh nominations for Presidential election 2022 filed; updated list

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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As many as 115 candidates filed their papers for nominations for the 16th Presidential election scheduled for July 18.

As on June 17, the nomination papers of three candidates were rejected due to the lack of proper documentation, PTI reported quoting sources.

On the first day, June 15 (Wednesday), 11 candidates filed their nominations, while three filed them on Thursday and one on Friday. One nomination was rejected on the first day, while two more were rejected on Thursday.

Pratel Sureshchandra Laljibhai of Ahmedabad, Anand Singh Khuswah of Gwalior and Satya Narayan Prasad of Darbhanga, Bihar, filed their nominations for the post on Thursday. Of these, two were rejected. On Friday, Sanjay Savji Deshpande from Mumbai filed his nomination, according to PTI sources.

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The process of filing nominations for the Presidential polls started on Wednesday, June 15, shortly after a notification was issued by the Election Commission of India calling upon electors to fill up the vacancy. The last day to file nominations is June 29. The Election Commission will scrutinise papers on June 30 and the voting is scheduled to take place on July 18. The result of the Presidential election will be declared on July 21 before President Ram Nath Kovind’s term ends on July 24.

On the first day, Rajya Sabha secretary-general PC Mody, who is the returning officer appointed by the Election Commission for the polls, received 11 nominations. Of these, one nomination was rejected as it didn’t have proper documents, a media report said.

Following is the list of the 11 candidates who filed nominations for the Presidential elections on the first day:

• K Padmarajan (Tamil Nadu)
• Jeevan Kumar Mittal (Delhi)
• Mohammad A Hamid Patel (Maharashtra)
• Sairo Bano Mohammad Patel (Maharashtra)
• T Ramesh (Namakkal)
• Shyam Nandan Prasad (Bihar)
• Daya Shankar Agrawal (Delhi)
• Om Prakash Kharbanda (Delhi)
• Lalu Prasad Yadav (Bihar)
• A Manithan (Tamil Nadu)
• Mandati Thirupathi Reddy (Andhra Pradesh)

Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has filed his nomination from Saran in Bihar, is not to be confused with the former railway minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief with the same name.

The first candidate to file a nomination was Dr K Padmarajan from Mettuguda in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu. The big political parties are yet to announce the names of their candidates.

Among the nominations, some candidates have contested the Presidential polls as well as other elections several times.

There are 4,809 members in the electoral college. Fifty members of an electoral college need to propose the name of the candidate filing the nomination and another 50 need to second it. The nominations filed on the first day will be scrutinised and some of them may bow out because of the lack of 50 first proposers.

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