By Andalib Akhter
Over 99 percent electors cast their vote in the Presidential election for which polling was held today. The poll was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner in all the designated places across the country including Parliament House. The Polling began at Parliament House as well as the premises of the State Legislative Assemblies at 10 A.M which continued till 5 P.M.
Counting will be taken up on Thursday. After the end of the polling process, the Election Commission in a statement said that out of a total of four thousand 796 electors in the list of Electoral College for the Presidential Election, over 99 percent cast their votes today. It said, hundred percent voting by MLAs was reported from 11 States and UT of Puducherry.
These States are Chattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.
Addressing media in Parliament House complex, Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody said that out of the 736 electors comprising 727 MPs and 9 MLAs who were permitted to vote at Parliament House, 730 electors cast their votes. They include 721 MPs and 9 MLAs. Mr Mody informed that 99.18% percent elector turnout was recorded at Parliament House.
The Rajya Sabha Secretary General also informed that the Assistant Returning Officers of various States will start arriving with the polled sealed ballot boxes to Parliament House, New Delhi by road and by air from today itself.
He said, all necessary security arrangements for the safe transit of the ballot boxes from the Airport to Parliament House have been made. The Parliament Security Service is coordinating actively with the Delhi Police, Airport Authorities and CRPF among others to ensure smooth and secure transport of the ballot boxes.
Term of office of President Ram Nath Kovind is ending on 24th of July. Former Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu is the NDA candidate for the Presidential election, while former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha is contesting as a joint Opposition candidate for the top post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Anurag Thakur, Piyush Goyal and Dr Mansukh Mandaviya were among the first to cast their votes at Parliament House this morning.
Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Party leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and others also cast their votes.
The counting of votes for the Presidential election will take place on 21st of this month at Parliament House from 11 AM onwards.
The President of India is elected by the Members of an Electoral College consisting of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament, and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all States including Delhi and Puducherry.
The Members nominated to either House of Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States, including NCT of Delhi and Union Territory of Puducherry, are not eligible to be included in the Electoral College.