MLAs must be fair to even those who did not vote for them: President Ram Nath Kovind

File photo

Aizawl: President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday urged legislators to be the true representatives of people by being fair to the entire constituency, and not just those who voted for them.

Addressing a special session of the Mizoram Assembly, Kovind said a legislator equally represents those who did not vote for him or opposed him.

The president said a rival in an election was a political competitor and not an enemy, and ideally, the functioning of the legislature should be marked by dignity and decorum.

The political system should not allow differences to become disputes, he said.

"After the election, the competitor could become a colleague in the task of ensuring the well-being and development of a constituency, of the state and of the country," he said.

Appealing to legislators to uphold the beauty of a democratic polity, Kovind said, "I am glad to see that this philosophy has such an instinctive acceptance in Mizoram."