NEW DELHI — A Dalit was elected India’s 14th president on Thursday, a rare achievement for a member of a community once known as “untouchables” and one of the most deprived groups in India.

Ram Nath Kovind, 71, an understated politician from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party, was selected as his party’s candidate for the largely ceremonial position in an effort to secure the Dalit vote in future elections. That is a critical step in the expansion of the party, known as B.J.P., observers said.

“Mr. Modi is essentially a political animal, and he’s conscious of the political impact of a potential move,” said Ashok Malik, an analyst at the Observer Research Foundation. In choosing a presidential candidate, “he’s also gone for somebody who could potentially help the B.J.P.”

The Indian president is elected by members of Parliament and the state assemblies, so given the B.J.P.’s strength nationally and the support of several other parties, the outcome of the vote was never in doubt. Mr. Kovind garnered more than 65 percent of the votes on the way to becoming India’s second Dalit president.