Ex-Punjab CM congratulates Kovind on being elected Prez

Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal today congratulated the NDA's nominee Ram Nath Kovind on being elected as India's 14th President and described him as a "self-made man".
The 90-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch said Kovind's victory is a win for rational forces that wanted to take the country forward.
The SAD also appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision in nominating a "farmer's son" for the coveted office.
"We would like to congratulate Shri Kovind for the manner in which he managed to take everyone along. It was due to his personality and deeds," Parkash said.
The SAD leader said Kovind was also a role model for India's youth.

"He (Kovind) rose from a simple background to become a self-made man who used his skills as a lawyer to work for the welfare of the society's under privileged sections," the former chief minister said.

Parkash and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal, the former Punjab deputy chief minister, wished Kovind the very best "on his elevation as the first citizen of the country".
"From Kanpur Dehat, a hinterland, to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Kovind ji's journey is one of humbleness, hard work and service to the society. Our party (SAD) and Punjabis are proud to elect such a person to the highest office in the country," Sukhbir said.

Kovind defeated the opposition's Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker, by garnering more than 65 percent of the votes in the Electoral College.