"I have come here to seek your blessings," the former Bihar governor told a meeting of NDA MPs and MLAs from the state.
The meeting was held at the official residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who earlier received Kovind (71) at the airport here.
Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind was taken to the chief minister's official residence on Kalidas Marg straight from the airport.
In his brief speech, Kovind said he had come to seek their blessings for the July 17 presidential election.
Also Read
Earlier, addressing the MPs and MLAs, Adityanath said, "This is the first time that we will have the honour of having a person from Uttar Pradesh as our president. This honour has been bestowed upon us by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.
He said Kovind, who led a simple life, had continuously been working for the uplift of the poor, Dalits and marginalised sections of the society.
Gadkari explained to the MPs and MLAs how to cast their ballots in the presidential poll.
Though Uttar Pradesh has given the country nine prime ministers, including incumbent Narendra Modi, who is a Lok Sabha member from Varanasi, it will be the first time that the politically crucial state will have the pride of sending someone to the Rashtrapati Bhavan if Kovind is elected.
Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao, adjoining Kovind's native place Kanpur, was also present at the meeting.
Describing Kovind as a "diamond", Union minister Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal (S) said, "I was very happy the moment the name of Ram Nath Kovind was announced as he hails from Kanpur, which is also my birth place."
She said her party would extend full support to him.
On the Congress fielding former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, also a Dalit, against Kovind, Anupriya earlier told reporters, "What I don't understand is, when the Congress was in a position to ensure the victory of its candidate, it never fielded a Dalit woman. This shows the anti-Dalit mindset of that party."
Bhupender Yadav, Kovind's authorised representative for the presidential poll, said he had come to Lucknow to seek the support of the members of the electoral college.
He added that Kovind would now visit the other states.
Though he would be meeting only with the MPs and MLAs who have pledged their loyalty with him, the NDA's presidential pick would appeal to all the members of the electoral college to support his candidature, they added.
With over 62 per cent of the votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain. Besides the BJP and its NDA allies, the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have also announced their support to him.
Kovind filed his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 23, while opposition candidate Kumar is yet to file hers.
If elected, Kovind will be the second Dalit president after K R Narayanan.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content