99% vote to elect president, cross-voting in UP, Tripura
Poll lays bare divisions within Congled opposition parties; crossvoting reported from SP, TMC
NEWDELHI: Nearly 5,000 lawmakers voted in Parliament and state assemblies on Monday to elect India’s next president in a poll that pits two veteran Dalit leaders — NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind and Opposition candidate Meira Kumar — against each other. Close to 99% voting was recorded.
There were reports of crossvoting in Kovind’s favour. In UP, Mulayam Singh’s brother Shivpal voted for him, and in Tripura, five suspended TMC MLAs and a Congress legislator announced their support too.
NEW DELHI: Nearly 5,000 lawmakers voted in Parliament and state assemblies on Monday to elect India’s next President in a poll that pitted two veteran Dal it leaders against each other.
Close to 99% voting was recorded, which the officials claimed could be the highest rate of polling.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee, Ram NathKov ind ,71, is expected to win the polls, which Opposition candidate Meira Kumar dubbed as a battle of ideologies.
The result will be declared on July 20, four days before President Pr ana bMukherjee’ s tenure ends. There were also reports of cross-voting from the opposition side in favour of Kovind.
In Trip ur a, five suspended Trina moo lC on gr es sM LA san done Congress legislator announced their support for the NDA candidate. “We didn’t support to vote for Congress candidate Meira Kumar as she is also backed by the CPM, our main rival in Tripura,” Asish Kumar Saha, a leader of the six sacked MLAs, said.
In Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh’s brother and Jaswant Na ga rM LA Sh iv pal Ya dav voted for Kovind. The Independent MLA and SP ally, Raja Bhaiya, too declared, “I have good relations with former CM and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav but in the presidential elections, I am supporting Kovind for my relationship with Kovind.”
Some opposition leaders, who gathered at Parliament building to vote, were seen pointing finger sat the Congress for the delay in announcing the candidate. “If we had announced Gopal Gandhi’s candidature for the Presidential poll before the BJP declared its candidate, we could have got support from nay parties,” said a leader.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and several other senior leaders came to vote in Parliament. The voting took place at a brisk pace.
“The voting was close to 99%. I think this would perhaps be the highest-ever percentage,” Lok Sabha secretary general and returning officer for the election, Anoop Mishra, said.
A run ac hal Pradesh, Ch hat tisgarh, Ass am, Gujarat, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J hark hand, Na gala nd,Ut tarakhan d and Pu du cherry recorded 100% voting. In Parliament House, the voting percentage was 99%, said Mishra.
Of the 776 seats in both Houses of Parliament ,771 MPs were eligible to vote. Mo di hopesKo vin d’ s election can help the BJP shake off allegations of bias against Dalits. It will be only the second time that India has had a Dalit head of state after KR Narayanan.
The polls also laid bare the divisions within the Congress-led opposition parties. JD(U) leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar deciding to backKov ind is seen as the biggest setback for them. O dish aCM Naveen P at naik’ sBiju Janata Dal too backed the NDA candidate.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded parties of the spirit of “growing stronger together” to make the monsoon session of Parliament, which started on Monday, a success.
He also walked up to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the Lo kS ab ha chamber to greet her, in a bid to improve working relation with the opposition party.
Modi said the spirit, as shown during the passage of the GST bills, will prompt parties to engage in high-standard debate as the session is significant.
“After summer, the advent of rain brings in a fresh pleasant smell in the soil. Similarly, the monsoon session will bring in a new spirit,” Modi said.
Thefirstday didn’thavealong list of agenda as the Houses were adjourned after paying tributes to MP Vinod Khanna, minister Anil Dave and some former members who passed away. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and Indian Union Muslim League leader PK Kunhalikutty took oath as new members in Lok Sabha.