Early indications are that Ram Nath Kovind, the NDA candidate, has won. Meanwhile, debate has broken out over the eligibility of the UPA’s pick for VP, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson

By E. Jaya Kumar @ Asia Times Online, July 18

India’s presidential election on Monday exposed a divided opposition, with their choice of Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, as vice-presidential candidate, also stirring debate over his eligibility.

[....] The counting of votes takes place on July 20. If cross-voting has taken place as alleged, it will be a blow to the opposition’s plan to form a grand new coalition ahead of 2019 general elections. It will also be a snub to Congress party boss Sonia Gandhi, [.....]. The NDA made a smart move by naming a dalit (or “untouchable”), Kovind, from UP, as its candidate. This dashed opposition hopes for a cakewalk if, for instance, the NDA had fielded a leader like Mohan Bhagwat, of the RSS, as its candidate.

The NDA picked a dalit candidate because public anger had been mounting over attacks against Muslims by cow vigilantes in BJP-ruled UP. Protests have been staged over suicides of dalit students on university campuses [.....]