Bengaluru, Jul 5 (Agencies): NDA presidential nominee and BJP leader Ram Nath Kovind today told the MLAs and Lok Sabha members from Karnataka here that he would keep the top constitutional post above the party and sought their support for the July-17 poll.

Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar was also present at the meeting which took place at a private hotel here. Among the leaders who attended the meeting were Union ministers Thawar Chand Gehlot and Ananth Kumar. State BJP president B S Yedyurappa was also present.

To a query, Shettar said he was expecting at least 70 per cent votes in favour of Kovind. "The moment Kovindji's candidature was announced, a number of non-NDA political parties came out in support of him. Even Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar supported him immediately after the announcement. I am confident he will garner 70 per cent vote in his favour," he said.

On Congress asking the Bihar CM to reconsider supporting Kovind, Shettar said, "I know Nitish very well. He is a very principled man and once he has committed, he stays put."

Three BSR Congress (Badavara Sharmikara Raitara Congress) MLAs, who are close to BJP Lok Sabha member and former minister B Sriramulu, attended the meeting and extended their support to Kovind.

"BSR Congress MLAs and others have expressed support to Kovindji," Sriramulu told reporters here. Kovind would begin his two-day campaign in the north-east tomorrow.

Meanwhile, The Hindu reported that some leaders of the deprived Koli community tried to manhandle BJP’s state general secretary Arvind Limbavali for not allowing them to greet and offer bouquets to Ram Nath Kovind during his visit to Bengaluru. The police intervened and rescued Limbavali.