17 July 2017 12:19 pm
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has been fielded by the opposition, which has pitched the contest as a battle of ideologies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was among the first to vote in Parliament this morning, has congratulated Mr Kovind in advance and has said that "the presidential poll this time is historic.
Probably for the first time no party made any undignified or unwarranted comment on the rival candidate." (NDTV)