Gandhinagar: NDA presidential candidate Ramnath Kovind today held a meeting with MLAs of ruling BJP in Gujarat and other leaders of the party here and also sought their support formally.

Kovind, who earlier visited Goa and Mumbai today arrived Ahmedabad Airport along with union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and was accorded a grand welcome.

He soon left for Swanim Sankul in Gandhinagar where he participated in the meeting and addressed it. CM Vijay Rupani, Dy CM Nitin Patel. Chief Whip Pankaj Desai, Gujarat BJP president cum MLA Jeetu Vaghani were also present in the meeting which was also attended by Gadkari and Vijayvargiya.

Kovind’s Gujarat visit was earlier slated for July 11 but was re-scheduled for July 15 in the wake of terror attack on Amranath pilgrims in Kashmir.

BJP president Amit Shah and Gujarat BJP in-charge Bhupendra Yadav were also to accompany Kovind during earlier planned visit but could make it today owing to some pressing engagements in Delhi.

Notably the election for next President will be held on July 17. Mrs Meira Kumar is the candidate of Congress led coalition of 17 opposition parties. She had started her campaign from here on June 30 after visiting Sabarmati Ashram. Going by the arithmetic of the votes, the election of Kovind looks like a mere formality.

DeshGujarat