Ram Nath Kovind sworn in as 14th Indian president
Ram Nath Kovind has been sworn in as the 14th Indian president today at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi. CJI JS Khehar presided over the ceremony, which was attended by former president Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and PM Narendra Modi. Before that, Kovind visited Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi and had a one-on-one with Mukherjee.
Kovind defeated rival Meira Kumar by over 3,34,000 votes
Former Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, the NDA's presidential candidate, won the election on July 20 with 7,02,044 votes. Rival Meira Kumar, former Lok Sabha speaker, secured 3,67,314 votes. This time, 99% polling was recorded, the highest ever.
A brief look at Kovind's impressive profile
The former BJP spokesperson has worked as a lawyer in the Delhi HC as well as the SC. He has left a mark on the politics of UP and Bihar. Kovind also represented India in the UN and addressed the UNGA in 2002. The president-elect has ties with academics too - he has served on the boards of IIM-Kolkata and Lucknow's BR Ambedkar University.
After the swearing-in, Kovind to move to his new residence
After the swearing-in, Mukherjee will give Kovind a tour of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, his official residence. Then India's 14th president will proceed towards his new home at 10, Rajaji Marg.