PM Modi to host farewell dinner for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind on July 22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a farewell dinner for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind on July 22, 5:30 pm at Hotel Ashoka in New Delhi. Prime Minister Modi last met President Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 13 for a courtesy visit. The incumbent President will step down from office on July 24 after completing a successful tenure in India's top Constitutional post. His successor will take oath on July 25.

Ram Nath Kovind was voted in as India's 14th President and took his oath of office on July 25, 2017. The Dalit leader first stepped into politics in 1994 after he was elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh. He served two consecutive terms for 12 years till March 2006. He then served as the Governor of Bihar between 2015–2017. Kovind also has considerable experience practicing in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for nearly 16 years.

Meanwhile, with Droupadi Murmu drawing in landslide support from parliamentarians and likely to be announced as the next President of India soon, PM Modi is expected to visit her house. Preparations have been made for PM's arrival at Droupadi Murmu's residence. 

President Election: Counting of votes ongoing

Polling began on July 18 in the Parliament and respective State Legislative Assemblies to elect a new President of India. The vote counting for the presidential elections 2022 began at 11 AM on Thursday following which the results are expected to be declared by evening. With the total value of votes of the electors being 10,86,431, the winner needed to bag at least 5,43,216 votes.

When Droupadi Murmu was announced as the candidate, BJP and its allies constituted 48% of the electoral college implying that they required the support of a few more parties to sail through. To take on Murmu, the joint Opposition fielded BJP-turned-TMC leader Yashwant Sinha. 

However, in the run-up to the Presidential Elections, several Opposition parties began swinging in favour of Murmu instead. From the BJD, YSRCP, BSP, AIADMK, TDP, the Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, JMM, JD(S) Rajbhar's SBSP, Shivpal Yadav's PSP, and Raja Bhaiya's Jansatta Dal Loktantrik, Opposition outfits began expressing their support to the NDA candidate. 

With her election likely, Murmu will become the first tribal and second woman to be elevated as the 15th President of India. She will also be the first president to be born in post-Independent India.