According to a statement from the office of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, soon after deciding the candidature of Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Rao over phone and requested his support for the NDA's candidate.
"The prime minister told the chief minister over phone, as per your (KCR's) suggestion we have decided upon a Dalit candidate for the presidential post," it said.
The chief minister immediately consulted his party colleagues and conveyed to the prime minister the TRS's "willingness and his willingness" to support the NDA candidate.
Kovind is likely to file his papers on June 23, BJP president Amit Shah said after a nearly two-hour meeting of the BJP parliamentary board.
He said political parties had been informed of the NDA's choice and expressed hope that they all will agree to his name.
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