Becoming President is an emotional moment for me: Ram Nath Kovind

With 66% of the total electoral votes, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) backed Ram Nath Kovind became the 14th Indian President.

Kovind will succeed incumbent Pranab Mukherjee.

The Secretary General of Lok Sabha, Anup Mishra, briefed that Kovind got 7,02,044 out of 10,69,358 valid votes polled.

While giving a brief speech after getting elected, Kovind flashed back to the struggling days of his childhood. Invoking the weather of the national capital today, the newly elected President remembered how he and his family members had to suffer particularly during rainy days.

"It is sure that there are lot of Kovinds in my country even now and I am the President of all those people who go through hardship and struggle" the new President said.

Kovind, who comes from Uttar Pradesh, became the second Dalit President of India after K R Narayanan.

The  President-elect thanked all people for keeping faith in him so far and also congratulated Meira Kumar, who was his opponent in the Presidential battle.

The Presidential poll turned out to be a battle between two Dalits, Ram Nath Kovind and Meira Kumar.

Speaking about his duty as the President, Kovind said: "Protecting the Constitution and its tradition are my responsibilities."

"The names of Rajendra Prasad, K R Narayanan, APJ Abdul Kalam, Pranab Mukherjee itself reminds me of the responsibility as the President," he added.

Kovind was the Bihar governor when the BJP-led NDA chose him as their candidate for the Presidential poll.