Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Mumbai; to address MPs, officials

Mumbai, Jul 15 NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Mumbai today to address a meeting of officials and MPs.

Kovind was welcomed at the airport by BJP pioneers, including Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Ramdas Athawale, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

From the airport, Kovind left for the Garware Club in south Mumbai, where he is planned to address a meeting of NDA MPs and officials in the state.

"After the meeting and lunch, Kovind will leave the city," a BJP pioneer said.

Kovind is not booked to meet Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at his home, BJP sources said.

Significantly, Pranab Mukherjee and Pratibha Patil, as presidential candidates of the UPA, had gone by the then Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray at his living arrangement "Matoshree" in suburban Bandra as the party had broken ranks with the NDA in the past two elections for the most elevated established office.

Uddhav has announced his party's support for Kovind after a meeting of Shiv Sena pioneers here last month. "Kovind is a decent candidate, a straight-forward individual from a straightforward family and can possibly work for the nation's advantage," he had stated, in the wake of dithering for a day following the declaration of Kovind's candidature by the BJP, followed by its endorsement by most other NDA partners.

The Shiv Sena's declaration to support Kovind had come in the midst of serious strains in relations of the gathering with the BJP over a host of issues. The gathering had pitched for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) boss Mohan Bhagwat as its first inclination for the best office. "On the off chance that India must be made a 'Hindu rashtra', Bhagwat will be a decent decision for President," Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had said.

After Bhagwat ruled himself out of the race, Shiv Sena had proposed rural researcher M S Swaminathan's name for the post, saying he will have the capacity to give answers for the extending agrarian emergency in a few sections of the nation.

BJP president Amit Shah had met Thackeray a month ago at "Matoshree" to enroll the gathering's help for the NDA's presidential applicant.

Sena has 18 MPs and 63 MLAs. The voting in favor of the presidential election is scheduled on July 17 and the tallying will happen on July 20, four days before President Pranab Mukherjee's term closes.