Kovind was not such a closely guarded secret after all -Governance Now

Kovind was not such a closely guarded secret after all

NDA’s presidential candidate surprised some but the name had been doing rounds

Shankar Kumar | June 20, 2017 | New Delhi

#President #NDA #Narendra Modi #Ram Nath Kovind

(Photo: governor.bih.nic.in)

Ram Nath Kovind, Narendra Modi, NDA, President

“Ram Nath who?” That was the reaction from some newsmakers, when Ram Nath Kovind’s name was announced for the post of Bihar governor in 2015. The same response was repeated on Monday when he was named the ruling NDA’s candidate for the presidential elections.

And surprise there surely is. There were half a dozen names doing rounds from the ruling side, including some cabinet members, some party veterans, some dark horses and some usual suspects. Kovind was not named by anybody – no reporter with deep contacts every counted him among the potentials.

So, it seems, Kovind’s candidature was a closely guarded secret, or a last-minute brainwave of the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine.

That is not the case. I happen to have heard the name way back in December from a journalist-turned-administrator close to the ruling regime. This gentleman had told us, in a friendly banter talk, that the Bihar governor could be “potential presidential candidate of the NDA”.

When the same group of journalist-friends met him in March again and asked him if he still believed Kovind was in contention when so many big names had started doing rounds, he said, “Whatever I had to say I have already told you… it’s up to you to take it or leave it.”

Comments

Other News

V. M. Tarkunde: A legal luminary par excellence

14 Lawyers: Portraits from The Bar By Raju Ramachandran Juggernaut, 248 pages, Rs. 799

The Cost of Obesity

The latest episode of Checks and Balances focuses on the ticking time bomb of obesity in India, and Geetanjali Minhas of Governance Now spoke with a panel of experts. You can watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/mH

US-Iran deal: Path to peace or prelude to deeper regional quagmire?

In the midst of deep mistrust, the US and Iran are reported to have reached a framework deal for ending the West Asian conflict. But whether it will result in any meaningful breakthrough or pave the way for any lasting peace in the region, is in the realm of speculation. During

Lived life, philosophy, spirituality and other enigmas

The Ashes Are Warm: Memories of a Lifetime Spent with UG Krishnamurti By Mahesh Bhatt and Sunita Pant Bansal Rupa Publications, 384 pages, Rs 495

In Varanasi, fringe expansion vs. core heritage

For centuries, the urban framework of Varanasi was defined not just by its relationship with the sacred Ganga but by its multifaceted network of urban commons. Historic kunds, seasonal talabs (ponds), and open maidans served as the city’s basic ecological infrastructure. Th

What ails India`s skill development ecosystem

India’s skill development programmes were designed with a goal to make the young population ready with market-required skills and competencies, and to provide them with better employment opportunities. Yet the outcomes have fallen short of that goal: though over 1.6 crore individuals were trained acr