Presidential polls 2022: Reports of cross-voting emerge as support for Draupadi Murmu grows

Presidential polls 2022: Reports of cross-voting emerge as support for Draupadi Murmu grows

Presidential polls 2022: Reports of cross-voting emerge as support for Draupadi Murmu grows

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and former PM Manmohan Singh were among the earliest voters as voting for the 16th presidential election began here on Monday morning.

Modi led the voters in Parliament House complex while former PM Singh, ailing for long, arrived in a wheelchair

Several MPs voted in the election that will send India’s 15th President to office.

Though it is the 16th presidential election, it will elect the 15th President as first president Rajendra Prasad had served two terms.

As voting began, opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha alleged that money was involved in this election.

“I am not just fighting a political fight but a fight against government agencies too. They have become too powerful. They are breaking up parties, forcing people to vote for them. There is also money involved,” said Sinha.

He said this election is very important and would set the path for the country’s democracy, whether it would stay or end. 

“I appeal to all voters to listen to their conscience. This is a secret ballot. I hope they use their discretion and elect me to save democracy,” Sinha said, alleging the use of money in the presidential election.

The ruling combine candidate, Droupadi Murmu, is expected to bag at least two-thirds of the electoral college votes—10,86,431. She is being supported by several non-BJP parties besides by Congress allies Shiv Sena and JMM.

With battlelines drawn, the NDA is hoping that Murmu will touch the 7 lakh mark in the electoral college of 10,86,431 votes (consisting of votes of 4,809 electors – 776 MPs and 4,033 MLAs). 

In the 2017 presidential election, NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind had polled 7.02 lakh votes as against opposition candidate Meira Kumar’s 3.67 lakh.

In 2012, UPA’s Pranab Mukerjee was declared elected having polled 7.13 lakh votes against opposition’s PA Sangma, who got 3.15 lakh.

The term of incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24.

The Constitution provides that the election to the office of President is held by a system of proportional representation and a single transferable secret vote.

No whip can be issued for the presidential election.