KALYAN JEWELLERS ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF GLOBAL CAMPAIGN “SHOP & WIN 30 AUDI A3”
Raffle draw winners include 15 from India, 8 from UAE, 4 from Qatar and 3 from Kuwait
New Delhi, June 23, 2017: Kalyan Jewellers, India’s trusted and leading jewellery brands has announced the 30 winners of the “Shop & Win 30 Audi A3” global campaign. Each of the 30 lucky winners will be getting an Audi A3 Car from Kalyan Jewellers. The winners were chosen through raffle draws held in India, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait. As mentioned during the initial campaign announcement in April, of the 30 selected winners, 15 were from India, 8 from UAE, 4 from Qatar and 3 from Kuwait. The cars keys will be handed over in the coming weeks after the formalities are completed.
The winners were overjoyed when the company informed them about their win. Ms Deva Kumari from Telangana said she was ecstatic about it and commented, “I am elated by this amazing news. I still cannot believe I have won the draw and I will own the Audi A3. This is truly incredible and I would to extend my gratitude to the whole team at Kalyan Jewellers for making my shopping experience an unforgettable one with this awesome win. I will for sure be going back to the showrooms.”
Mr Abdul Bare Abdul, our lucky winner from Kuwait expressed his happiness and remarked, “This is truly amazing an experience for me. I truly feel one can’t get luckier than this. I mean who doesn’t love cars and that too winning a car as desirable as an Audi A3 is truly a dream come true. I can’t wait to drive the car and would like to thank Kalyan Jewellers for this amazing experience of a lifetime.”
Mr Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director, Kalyan Jewellers said, ‘’I would like to congratulate the all the lucky winners. At Kalyan our endeavor has been to enable our customers to extract value from their purchase while providing a great shopping experience. I am delighted that we could play a small part in helping our customers realizing their dreams.’’
The Kalyan Jewellers global campaign was launched on April 10, 2017 and culminated on June 9, 2017 in India, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. The campaign marks the single largest offer of free Audi A3s in a raffle draw in India and GCC. Customers participated in the promotion by making a minimum purchase across Kalyan Jewellers showrooms in their respective countries. The 15 winners from UAE, Qatar and Kuwait were selected earlier this month on June 13th, 14th and 15th. The list of winners is as follows.
| Sr. No. | Name (As In Invoice) | Country/City | Coupon No |
| 1 | Alex Kuruvilla | Dubai | 630301 |
| 2 | Ahmed Sulthan | Dubai | 546120 |
| 3 | Joshua Samuel | Dubai | 580949 |
| 4 | Bernard Aguila | Dubai | 701570 |
| 5 | Sheshadri PS | Qatar | 139330 |
| 6 | Jeevitha Saravanan | Qatar | 312317 |
| 7 | Ashraf T | Qatar | 132837 |
| 8 | Huda Elkahlout | Qatar | 215156 |
| 9 | Mohaned Ameen | Sharjah | 757101 |
| 10 | Leah Shanley | Sharjah | 779021 |
| 11 | Ajitha VC | Abu Dhabi | 330280 |
| 12 | Suresh Kumar | Abu Dhabi | 112379 |
| 13 | Abdul Bare Abdul | Kuwait | 79929 |
| 14 | Shaik Khadar Basita | Kuwait | 15808 |
| 15 | Azhagarasan R | Kuwait | 45469 |
| 16 | Rajeev S Kudale | Belgaum | 2213807 |
| 17 | S Nandini | Delhi | 102948 |
| 18 | Vijay Kumar | Kolkata | 1235748 |
| 19 | Suguna V | Visakhapatnam | 1958241 |
| 20 | Sindhu Sharan | Hyderabad | 1351096 |
| 21 | Shyam B P | Kannur | 3453878 |
| 22 | Dhanya | Kodungallur | 4064542 |
| 23 | Rajesh Bikundia | Jodhpur | 1123834 |
| 24 | Gurjeet Kaur Chhabra | Jalandhar | 1015223 |
| 25 | Bhavika Dipak Rajput | Surat | 466963 |
| 26 | Naval Kishore | Navi Mumbai | 652275 |
| 27 | G Narayanappa | Bangalore | 2380120 |
| 28 | Drisavy Bandita Bisoyi | Bhubaneswar | 839072 |
| 29 | Subimol | Ranni | 4179845 |
| 30 | Deepak Chatterjee | Kolkata | 1299685 |
About Kalyan Jewellers
Headquartered in Thrissur in the state of Kerala, Kalyan Jewellers is one of the largest jewellery manufacturers and distributors in India. The company draws from its strong roots of over a century in the business of textile trading, distribution and wholesaling. Starting with the first jewellery showroom in 1993, Kalyan Jewellers has enjoyed a long-standing presence in the Indian market for over two decades. It has set industry benchmarks in quality, transparency, pricing and innovation.
Kalyan offers an array of traditional and contemporary jewellery designs in gold, diamonds and precious stones catering to the distinct needs of the customers. Kalyan Jewellers has grown to 105 showrooms across India and West Asia.
EXPLORING INTERSECTIONS OF CASTE AND GENDER AMONG MIGRANT INDUSTRIAL WORKERS’
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PARTHIV PATEL OPENS A PANDORA’S BOX OF LITTLE SECRETS ON WHAT THE DUCK 2
Catch the journey of the keeper only on Viu’s What the Duck 2
Mumbai, June 23, 2017: From being the baby-faced wicket-keeper who debuted for India back in 2002, Parthiv Patel has indeed come a long way. He played with the side in the 2003 World Cup, waited eight years to make a glorifying comeback to the national fold and has now led Gujarat to their maiden Ranji Trophy win beating Mumbai this season. Get to know more about him as he takes to the pitch as the next guest on What the Duck 2. The cricket-comedy chat show that brings forth the gabby side of the cricketers available only on video-on-demand service Viu.
One of India’s most promising wicket-keeper batsman, Parthiv Patel who is often regarded as the chatter box of the Indian cricket team confesses on being a fidgety person. He chuckles and goes on to say how he needs to keep doing something or the other, to keep himself occupied. A red-faced Patel explains how it becomes worse for him when someone asks him not to do a particular thing; which compels him to do that exact thing. Adding on, he says, “So, that is why I never sit beside the emergency seat. I am always so compelled to open and see what happens. That is why when the air hostess asks me, ‘Are you ready to help?”. I say, “No, please change my seat.”
Parthiv reminisces about his debut during the India Pakistan tour in 2004. He talks about the moment when he was sleeping and suddenly former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly asked him to open for the 3rd innings. He was so both surprised and ecstatic but agreed to play on one condition that Sehwag would take that strike. At that time Sehwag, who was on a rather good form said, “Dekh mera form aacha chal raha hai, main tere liye lunga strike warna main generally first ball pe out hojata hu jab main strike leta hu” (See, currently I am in good form right now, I will take the strike for you, although generally, I get out on the first ball whenever I take the strike). Parthiv says that while Shoaib was bowling he kept praying that, ‘hey bhagwan out mat hona warna mere pe aajayega sab’, (Oh God! Please don’t get out or else I will be in trouble) but as luck would have it Sehwag was bowled out in the first ball. However, Patel says that after Rahul came, they shared a partnership of 129 runs which was the most memorable moment of his life.
Patel gloats on Dhoni by saying that he changed the face of wicket keeping in India, raising the benchmark while also making sure that the keepers had an equal opportunity for batting. It was the love of the game that kept Parthiv going and the realization that he has to buckle up and improve his game. Later when he got Gujarat its maiden win against 3-time winner Mumbai in Ranji trophy he came out as a winner.
The chatterbox talks about his big mouth tales with the Aussies. He throws light on the Steve Waugh incident and even mentions that how his family asked him not to stand behind Hayden during his matches because of his height. From observing everyone in the dressing room and Laxman teaching him the subtle art of observing people without making it obvious to getting ice creams for all the seniors, Parthiv has been there throughout. He mockingly also comments how routine is a euphemism for superstitions in the dressing room and talks about his own superstitions.
From his sledging stories to his love for everything Gujju, Parthiv definitely shows a new humorous side to his usual self. Catch all the balls of laughter from this episode of What the Duck 2. All you need to do is turn to your mobile and download the Viu app on Android or iOS.
About What The Duck:
What The Duck is a cricket comedy chat show hosted by Vikram Sathaye on the digital platform Viu. Launched alongside the Viu app in 2016, Season One of the show was a swashbuckling success with participating cricketers such as Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag launching the property. What The Duck also inspired Viru Ke Funde, a Viu property which established Virender Sehwag as a social media celebrity. Participating in Season Two of the show are Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, Sir Vivian Richards, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Kapil Dev and Ajinkya Rahane among others. To Viu What The Duck 2, download the app.
GLOBAL ECONOMIC MONITOR (APRIL-MAY,2017)
Global economic activity has expanded at a modest pace in the recent times, supported by firming growth in major advanced economies and in some emerging market economies as well. Consequently, the global growth has been anticipated to increase to 3.5 % in 2017 and 3.6 % in 2018, with optimistic financial markets and an expected recovery in manufacturing and trade.
In advanced economies, the pickup is mainly driven by higher projected growth in the United States , where activity was held back in 2016 by inventory adjustment and weak investment. In line with stronger than expected momentum in the second half of 2016, a stronger rebound in advanced economies is expected. The outlook has also improved for Europe and Japan on the basis of a cyclical recovery in global manufacturing and trade that accelerated in the second half of 2016. The pressures for inward-looking policies, with structural problems such as low productivity growth and high income inequality, are increasing in advanced economies.
While growth is still expected to pick up for the emerging markets and developing economies, weaker than expected activity in some countries has led to small downward revisions to the growth prospects for 2017 in these economies. However, growth forecasts have been marked up for China , reflecting stronger than expected policy support, as well as for Russia , where higher oil prices strengthens the recovery in 2017 as well as 2018.
Financial stability since last October has continued to improve. Economic activity has gained momentum and long term interest rates have risen, leading to a boost in the earnings of banks and insurance companies. Market sentiments have generally been strong, with outstanding gains in equity markets in both advanced and emerging market economies. Expectations of loose fiscal policy in the United States have contributed to a stronger dollar and higher U.S. Treasury interest rates, pushing up the yields in other economies as well.
Headline inflation has been picking up in advanced economies, many emerging market and developing economies due to higher commodity prices, but the dynamics of core inflation in advanced economies remain passive and heterogeneous.
On the trade front, Global trade is forecasted to expand by 2.4% in 2017. However, as uncertainty about near-term economic and policy developments raise the forecast risk, this figure is placed within a range of 1.8% to 3.6%. The WTO has forecasted trade growth between 2.1 % and 4 % in 2018.
Therefore, the policy choices are important in shaping the outlook and reducing the risks. In economies with weak core inflation, cyclical demand support is necessary. In economies where the output is close to or above potential output, fiscal policy in those economies should aim at intensification of safety nets and increasing potential output. Also, strategies are required in many countries to put public debt on a sustainable path. Actions to increase potential output are needed, given the challenges from ageing of population in advanced economies and the adjustment to lower terms of trade in emerging market and developing economies, as well as slow total factor productivity growth in these economies.
To sum up, many of the challenges that the global economy faces require individual country actions to be supported by multilateral cooperation. The key areas for collective action include preserving an open trading system, safeguarding global financial stability, achieving equitable tax systems, continuing to support low income countries as the economies pursue their development goals, and mitigating and adapting to climate change in the coming time
AFGHAN WAR WILL END ONLY WHEN NATO LEAVES
The leader of the Afghan Taliban said on Friday that a planned US troop surge will not end the protracted war in the country and vowed to fight on until a full withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan. The remarks by Maulvi Haibatullah Akhunzadah came in a message ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al Fitr. The militant leader seemed to harden his stance, saying the Afghan government is too corrupt to stay on and warning of another civil war in Kabul.
AUSTRIA: FEWER MIGRANTS RETURNING HOME, DESPITE CASH OFFER
Austria’s Interior Ministry says that 427 migrants have taken advantage of a €1,000 premium if they go back to their homeland since the initiative was put into place, but the overall number of voluntary returnees has fallen. The ministry said 1,855 people overall returned over the first five months of the year, 64 percent less than over the same period last year. The cash for return offer was launched three months ago. The ministry said Friday that most of those making use of it come from Iraq, Afghanistan or Iran. It does not apply to would-be asylum-seekers from European countries or those convicted of crimes. media agencies
EUTHANASIA MINDSET LOOMS OVER DISABLED BABY’S LEGAL FIGHT, ETHICIST WARNS
London, June 22, 2017: Legal efforts to bar the parents of a British baby born with a disabling medical condition from seeking treatment overseas are based on deep ethical errors, a Catholic expert in medical ethics has warned.
“It seems to me completely wrongheaded that the state should be stepping in here when the decision that the parents are making is really aimed at the best interests of the child,” Dr. Melissa Moschella, a Catholic University of America philosophy professor, told CNA.
“It’s not crazy, it’s not abusive, it’s not neglectful. It’s the decision of parents who want to, however they can, to give their very sick child a chance for life.”
She said such a decision “should be completely within the prerogative of the parent,” citing the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to Moschella, that declaration “clearly indicates that the parents, not the state will have primarily responsibility.”
Charlie Gard, now aged 10 months, is believed to suffer from a rare genetic condition called mitochondrial depletion syndrome, which causes progressive muscle weakness. The disorder is believed to affect fewer than 20 children worldwide. Charlie has been in intensive care since October 2016. He has suffered significant brain damage due to the disease and is currently fed through a tube. He breathes with an artificial ventilator and is unable to move.
His parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, have wanted to keep him on life support and transport him to the United States in order to try an experimental treatment.
However, their decision was challenged in court by hospitals and an attorney appointed to represent Charlie. The parents appealed a High Court decision, and their appeal to the U.K.’s Supreme Court was rejected.
Their final legal challenge is presently before the European Court of Human Rights. The court has said Charlie must continue to receive treatment until its judges make a decision.
Moschella said the legal decisions favoring ending life support for Charlie are effectively “telling the parents that their child’s life has no value and that therefore they should cease any effort to heal him of his disease.”
These decisions represent a “quality of life” ethic and an ideology that say human life is valuable only if it meets certain capacities.
“It’s the same ideology that underlies allowing euthanasia or physician assisted suicide,” she said. “That’s completely opposed to the Catholic view in which every human life has intrinsic value regardless of the quality of that life.”
Charlie’s parents have raised more than $1.6 million to help seek experimental treatment for him in the U.S. Their decision faced legal challenge from Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he is being treated.
In early April, the baby’s hospital challenged their efforts. The hospital’s experts argued in court that long-term life support should be withdrawn from the baby because his quality of life was so poor.
Charlie’s court-appointed lawyer argued before a High Court judge that any treatments in the U.S. would be experimental and long-term life-support would only “prolong the process of dying.”
Charlie’s parents had their own legal representative in the case, who argued that travel to the U.S. for treatment would not cause the boy significant suffering or harm and could give him another chance.
Yates, Charlie’s mother, has argued that she would welcome any treatment that could help him live. She also suggested anything learned during an experimental treatment could help treat future babies who suffer from the disorder.
According to Moschella, who has a background in parental rights and medical ethics, said parental rights derive both from the “special intimate relationship” they have with their child and from their primary obligations to care for their own children. Interfering with their conscientious best efforts is akin to violating religious freedom, she said.
“It is a deep violation of conscience, when, without a very serious reason, the state presents parents from fulfilling that conscientious obligation,” she said.
She noted that what Charlie’s parents are trying to do by helping secure extraordinary treatment is not ethically required by Catholic ethics.
“It would be perfectly morally acceptable should they choose to forgo seeking further treatment and take the baby off life support and allow him to pass away naturally due to the underlying disease,” the professor said. “But it’s also acceptable, on Catholic ethics, to do whatever you can to heal a person if you think that there’s any chance that a treatment could have a positive effect.”
She suggested that extraordinary treatment could be unethical only when “there is absolutely no hope of any benefit whatsoever” and the treatment is painful to the patient, or the treatment would take away “important resources that are needed to help other patients who could benefit.”
Moschella said there should only be legal intervention against the wishes of parents in cases “when there is a clear case of abuse or neglect or some significant threat to the public order.”
“Neither of those situations is the case here.”
– cna
NBA AND BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA OFFICIALLY OPEN
THE NBA GLOBAL ACADEMY FOR TOP PROSPECTS FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S.
– The NBA Global Academy to Host First-Ever NBA Academy Games
for Prospects from Academies in Africa, Australia, China and India –
MELBOURNE AND NEW YORK, June 23, 2017 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Basketball Australia (BA) today announced the official opening of The NBA Global Academy, an elite basketball training center at BA’s Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. The NBA Global Academy will serve as the NBA’s hub for top male and female prospects from outside the United States.
As part of today’s announcement, the NBA and BA also announced that the first-ever NBA Academy Games will begin tomorrow and run through June 30 at The NBA Global Academy. The series of exhibition games will include prospects from The NBA Global Academy, NBA Academies in Africa, China and India, along with a team from BA’s Centre of Excellence and local Australian youth teams.
“Basketball Australia is delighted to partner in this venture, which will enable our world-class coaches and athletes to share their knowledge with the NBA,” said Basketball Australia Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Moore. “Our Centre of Excellence has an incredible track record of producing athletes who can compete on the international stage. We are honoured to be hosting The NBA Global Academy and helping to develop promising young talent from around the world.”
“The NBA Global Academy, the league’s sixth international elite training center, will provide scholarships and training for top international prospects,” said NBA Vice President, International Basketball Operations & Head of Elite Basketball, Brooks Meek. “Basketball Australia’s internationally recognized coaches have successfully developed top prospects for many decades. We’re looking forward to working with BA on this initiative and conducting the first NBA Academy Games.”
In addition to exhibition games between the academies and local Australian teams, The NBA Academy Games will feature academy coaches leading the prospects through a variety of activities on and off the court, including movement efficiency, positional skill development, and daily life skills seminars focusing on health, leadership and communication.
The NBA Global Academy will employ a holistic, 360-degree approach to player development with focuses on education, leadership, character development and life skills. As part of the program, the students will compete against top competition throughout the year and will have an opportunity to be selected for travel teams that play in international tournaments and exhibition games.
The official opening of The NBA Global Academy follows the launch of academies in Hangzhou, Jinan and Urumqi, China; Thies, Senegal; and Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), India. NBA Academies include educational development for top international male and female prospects and mark the NBA’s most significant investment in elite player development. The initiative exposes elite prospects to NBA-level coaching, facilities and competition and provides a global framework for elite prospects to maximize their success.
The NBA Global Academy will take advantage of BA’s Centre of Excellence location at the world-renowned Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). The AIS campus in Canberra is home to world-class, elite high-performance facilities and leading sports practitioners in the fields of sports science, sports medicine and coaching. AIS is a world leader in high performance and is the flagship of the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Government’s sports agency.
Basketball Australia previously supported the NBA and FIBA’s Basketball without Borders (BWB) Asia camp, which was held in Australia for the first time at Dandenong Basketball Stadium in Melbourne in June 2016.
###
Contacts
Lisa Hasker, Basketball Australia, +61 418 194 933, lisa.hasker@basketball.net.au
Roger Ong, NBA Asia, +852-2843-9623, rong@nba.com
EU AGREES TO ROLL OVER RUSSIA ECO- SANCTION
European Union agreed to roll over economic sanctions against Russia for another six months because Moscow has failed to meet its Ukraine ceasefire commitments.
EU president Donald Tusk yesterday said that the Union will extend economic sanctions against Russia for their lack of implementing the Minsk agreement. He said the decision will become effective on July 31, when the current measures are to expire.
The EU imposed the economic sanctions against Russia after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014 with heavy loss of life, blamed by the EU on pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
ANOTHER 30 SMART CITIES
Government today announced the names of another 30 cities for development as smart cities under Smart City Mission. With this the total number of smart cities has gone up to 90.
Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala has topped the list. Announcing the new batch of smart cities at a National Workshop on Urban Transformation, in New Delhi, Urban development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, 45 cities contested for 40 available smart city slots but only 30 were selected.
He said, there will be no compromise in selection of cities and quality of smart city plans. Mr Naidu said, 20 cities will be contesting for the remaining 10 slots under smart city mission.
The Minister informed that the 30 cities announced today proposed a total investment of 57 thousand 393 crore rupees under respective smart city plans. With this the total investment approved under the smart city plans of 90 cities has gone up to one lakh 91 thousand 155 crore rupees.
Mr Naidu said selection of cities for smart city development is running ahead of schedule and the remaining cities will submit revised smart city plans for filling up the vacant slots.
MOB STONE TO DEATH DSP IN SRINAGAR
Jammu & Kashmir, A deputy superintendent of police was stoned to death by an irate mob after he allegedly opened fire at a group of people outside Jamia Masjid, Srinagar in the early hours today.
The police officer has been identified as Mohammad Ayub Pandit, deputy superintendent in Security wing of police. He was on duty when the mob attacked him, a police spokesman said.
DGP S P Vaid termed the killing as sad and unfortunate.Another report said the irate mob of people caught him clicking pictures near Jamia Masjid in early hours today.
DGP S P Vaid termed the killing as sad and unfortunate.Another report said the irate mob of people caught him clicking pictures near Jamia Masjid in early hours today.
A Police statement said he was attacked and beaten to death by a mob at Nowhatta last night.Reports said the group of people caught hold the DySP in civvies outside Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta and thrashed him. Reports said the mob around him snatched his pistol and beat the police officer to death. The incident happened when Shab-e-Qadr prayers were under way in the historic mosque.
Meanwhile, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti while paying tributes to the police officer said “the crime of lynching is actually a murder of trust as the officer had allowed his guards to go home”. She said J&K police is one of the finest forces in the country who exercise maximum restraint while dealing with law and order situation.
The brutal lynching of DySP Md Ayub Pandith marks a new low. Pained beyond words at the horrific incident.
Heartbreaking to see J&K being pushed back several decades because of the complete failure of the PDP/BJP Govt
ISRO LAUNCH CARTOSAT-2
ISRO has successfully launched PSLV C-38 this morning putting Cartosat-2 Series remote sensing earth observation satellite and 30 other nano-satellites into their orbits. The fortieth flight of its highly reliable polar satellite launch vehicle lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta at 9.29 am.
Around 16 minutes after lift-off, the rocket placed its main payload -Cartosat-2 Series Satellite in orbit. The satellite is the sixth in the Cartosat-2 series. It is the third earth observation satellite for India in space. It will provide spot-specific pictures in high resolution.
The imagery of Cartosat-2 series satellite will be useful cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation and creation of land use maps. It will also be useful for utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, Land Information System and Geographical Information System applications.
Out of the 30 nano-satellites 29 belongs to foreign customers from 14 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States. The other is a domestic payload of a private educational institution.
ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar congratulated the scientists after the mission was declared a success, saying, it comes just 18 days after the fruitful maiden test flight of the 4-ton class launch vehicle GSLV Mark-III.
CELEBRATING #YOGADAY2017 AT THE FRENCH EMBASSY
NDA: COUNTRY FIRST, NOT POLITICS, SAYS RN KOVIND AFTER FILING NOMINATION :
NDA Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, speaking to reporters after filing the nomination papers, Mr Kovind said, office of president is the highest constitutional post and in the past it has been adorned by eminent personalities like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Radhkrishnan, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. Further the septuagenarian added, it was country first, not politics. “Ever since I became governor, I don’t belong to any political party. The post of President is above party politics. I am thankful to everybody for their support. I will strive to keep President’s post above party politics. Development is priority. I appeal to all for cooperation.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, BJP veterans Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Chief Ministers of BJP ruled states and NDA allies ruled states and the heads of some other parties supporting Mr Kovind’s candidature were also present on the occasion.
All chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and its allies except Manohar Parrikar of Goa and Mehbooba Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir were present. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami were among those present.
Over-viewing presidential colleges besides NDA constituents, which comprise over 48.6 per cent of votes in the electoral college that will elect the next president, regional parties such as the AIADMK, BJD, TRS and JD(U) have announced their support to the Dalit leader, making his win an almost foregone conclusion. Kovind is guaranteed to get more than 61 per cent of votes, and the finally tally depends on how some still- undecided regional parties vote, BJP source said.
UPA ,opposition candidate for the post Ms Meira Kumar is excepted to file her nomination on 27th of this month. 28th June is the last date for filing the nomination. The election for the President post is scheduled for 17th of next month and counting of votes will take place on 20th of July.
The term of President Pranab Mukherjee ends on July 24. Once elected, Kovind will be the second Dalit to occupy the highest constitutional office.
The first was K R Narayanan, who was in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 1997-2002. A low-profile Dalit leader who held various organisational positions in the BJP, Kovind, 71, was made the Bihar Governor in 2015 after the NDA came to power in May 2014.
The name of the two-term Rajya Sabha member did not figure among the probables but his nomination by the BJP is now being seen as a “political masterstroke”.
He enjoys a clean reputation and has steered clear of any controversy in his over 26-year-old political career. His Dalit background makes him a sound political choice for the saffron party working overtime to woo Dalits.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad today again appealed to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar not to make a “historic blunder” by extending support to the NDA nominee for the presidential poll.
Describing the combined opposition nominee Meira Kumar as “Bihar ki Beti” (daughter of Bihar), Prasad appealed to Kumar to “mend the historic blunder” of supporting NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind.
“We are still treading on the path you had suggested to make the country ‘Sangh-mukt’…don’t know what made Kumar move away and extend support to a RSS man,” Prasad told reporters on his arrival at the Jayprakash Narayan Airport at Patna from New Delhi.
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