Presidential Election Live: 99.18% Turnout in Parl; Modi, Mamata Cast Ballots
Catch all the live updates on the 2022 Presidential election here.
Presidential elections 2022 Live updates
(Photo: The Quint)
Indian Presidential Election 2022 News Live Updates: The voting process for India's next President, a tough contest between the National Democratic Alliance's Droupadi Murmu and Opposition's Yashwant Sinha, concluded on Monday, 18 July, with ballots being cast by MPs in the Parliament House in Delhi and by MLAs and chief ministers in state assemblies across the country.
Speaking to the the media, PC Mody, Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, said that 99.18% MPs cast their vote on Monday.
"736 electors, including 727 members of Parliament and nine legislative assembly members were permitted by the Election Commission to vote, out of which 730 cast their votes," he said.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh, and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi cast their votes at the Parliament House in Delhi, several chief ministers including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Keriwal, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel cast their votes at their respective state assemblies.
The Monsoon Session of the Parliament too commenced on Monday morning to a chaotic start with both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha getting adjourned around mid-day due to protests and sloganeering by the Opposition MPs over price rise and inflation.
Here are a few glimpses of the voting process through the day:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi casts his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022.
Former prime minister and MP Manmohan Singh arrives to cast his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi casts her vote for the Presidential election.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Gautam after casting their vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee casts her vote for the Presidential election at the state Assembly.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh casts his vote for the Presidential election.
BJP National President J.P. Nadda with Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal after casting his vote for the Presidential election, at Parliament House in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi casts his vote for the Presidential election.
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Anurag Thakur after casting their vote for the Presidential election, at Parliament House in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath casts his vote for the presidential election, at the Tilak Hall in UP Vidhan Bhavan, in Lucknow, Monday, July 18, 2022.
An exhibition on presidential exhibition at Parliament in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022. The election for the President of India is being held today.
AAP MPs stage a protest in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022
AAP MP Harbhajan Singh on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022.
BJP MP Gautam Gambhir cast his vote for the Presidential election.
Union Minister Smriti Irani with other MPs flashes the victory sign after casting her vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan cast his vote at the state Assembly for the Presidential election.
Several newly elected MPs to the Rajya Sabha including P Chidambaram, Randeep Surjewala, Sanjay Raut, Harbhajan Singh, and Rajeev Shukla took oath with VP Venkaiah Naidu in the chair
PM Modi said that the country will get the guidance of a new president and vice president as India completes 75 years of Independence
Nearly 4,800 elected MPs and MLAs cast their votes to elect the 15th president of India, with Murmu having a clear edge over Sinha as over 60 percent of the votes are expected to be cast in her favour
Polling took place in Parliament and state legislative assemblies till 5 pm
The counting of votes will be held in the Parliament House on 21 July and the next president will take oath on 25 July
President Ram Nath Kovind's five-year term coming to an end on 24 July
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How is the President of India Elected?
The President is elected by an electoral college, which comprises of elected members of:
All state legislative assemblies (including Puducherry and Delhi)
Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha
The 12 nominated members of Rajya Sabha are not allowed to vote.
In essence, 4,120 members of legislative assemblies and 776 members of parliament elect the President.
The Value of MPs' and MLAs' Votes
The value of the vote of a member of Parliament has gone down to 700 from 708 in this presidential poll due to the absence of a Legislative Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir.
In states, the value of vote of each MLA varies in different states. In Uttar Pradesh, the value of vote of each MLA stands at 208, followed by 176 in Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. In Maharashtra, it is 175. In Sikkim, the value of vote per MLA is seven, while it is nine in Nagaland and eight in Mizoram.
The Mechanics of the Voting
The election of the president is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.
In accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote, every elector can mark as many preferences as there are candidates contesting the election.
These preferences for the candidates are to be marked by the elector, by placing the figures 1,2,3,4,5 and so on, against the names of the candidates, in the order of preference, in the space provided in column 2 of the ballot paper.
This is the reason why electronic voting machines are not used in this election as well as the vice presidential, Rajya Sabha, and legislative council polls.
'Silent, Pliant, Rubber-Stamp Rashtrapati': Sinha's Attack on Murmu, Appeal to BJP Legislators
On the eve presidential poll, Opposition joint presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha on Sunday launched a scathing attack on rival NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu, saying if elected, she will become a "silent, pliant and rubber-stamp Rashtrapati."
The former BJP leader made a fervent appeal to parliamentarians and legislators across the country to vote for him regardless of party affiliations to help "save the Constitution, democracy, secularism and India".
"This election is your last chance to introduce much-needed course correction in the BJP," he told lawmakers from the saffron party.
Chirag Paswan Attends NDA Meet, LJP To Support Droupadi Murmu
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan on Sunday attended a meeting of the BJP-led NDA on the presidential poll preparation, a significant development as he had kept away from the ruling alliance's gatherings after walking out of the coalition during the 2020 Bihar assembly polls.
Paswan, however, told news agency PTI that attending the meeting did not mean he was again a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The Jamui MP said that his presence at the meeting was because of his support to the ruling alliance's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu. She also joined the MPs later.
Was Yashwant Sinha the Wrong Choice for the Opposition?
Sinha as a candidate has some advantages but he may not have been an ideal choice.
The fact that they had to choose a former BJP leader was a tacit admission of the hegemonic power the BJP presently has in Indian politics.
And even within the BJP, Sinha was never quite a conscientious objector like a Jaswant Singh or Shanta Kumar, both of whom had spoken out against the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Read more here: Presidential Election: The Story Behind Yashwant Sinha's Struggling Campaign
'Don't Want To Install Statue in Rashtrapati Bhavan': Tejashwi Takes Dig at Droupadi Murmu
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday took a dig at NDA's presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, saying he had never heard her voice.
"We do not want to install a statue inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Has anyone of you ever heard her (Murmu's) voice? She has not even addressed a press conference since her name was announced. At least we have all heard from Yashwant Sinha and have an idea of what he stands for," the former Bihar deputy CM said.
Ashish Shelar, Chief Whip, Bharatiya Janata Party, Maharashtra Assembly on Monday said, "NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu's win is certain. We have full faith that she will win record votes from Maharashtra."
'Country Will Be Guided by New Prez, VP in This Important Period': PM Modi
"This period is very important. It is the period of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. There is a special significance of 15 August and coming 25 years... There are elections to the post of president and vice president also in this period. Voting is being held today. The country will be guided by a new president and new vice-president," Prime Minister Modi said, speaking at the outset of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
"There should be dialogue in the Parliament with an open mind. If necessary, there should be a debate. I urge all MPs to contemplate deeply and participate in discussion," he said.
"I appeal to the members of the House to make its proceedings productive and fruitful," the PM added.
Cross-Voting Fears in Maharashtra Congress, NCP
As lawmakers from Maharashtra gear up to vote on Monday to elect the country's next president, there are concerns among the Opposition parties over the possibility of cross-voting.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress - the two main opposition parties in Maharashtra – have already held meetings with their legislators to ensure there is no any cross-voting in favour of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's candidate Droupadi Murmu.
The Opposition is concerned as Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday claimed that Murmu would get the support of 200 MLAs from the state.
Voting for India's Next President Begins
Voting for India's 15th president begins. Polling will take place in Parliament and state legislative assemblies till 5 pm
The counting of votes will be held in the Parliament House on 21 July and the next president will take oath on 25 July.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath Casts His Vote in Lucknow
Soon after voting began, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cast his vote to elect the new president, in Lucknow.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cast his vote to elect the new president.
PM Modi Casts His Vote at Parliament
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his vote in the 16th presidential election, at the Parliament in New Delhi.
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Casts Vote
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel casts his vote in Gandhinagar as polling continues to elect India's next president.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Casts Vote
Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen patnaik cast his vote in Bhubaneshwar.
Voting Underway in Manipur
Voting is underway in Manipur Assembly Secretariat, Imphal.
Mathura MP Hema Malini Casts Vote
Mathura MP Hema Malini casts vote for Presidential election.
Voting Begins at Delhi Assembly; Deputy CM Sisodia Among Early Voters
Voting began for the presidential elections amid tight security arrangements on the Delhi Assembly premises on Monday.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Shiv Charan Goel and Bhavna Gaur, and BJP's Mohan Singh Bisht were early voters.
'Appeal Voters to Listen to Their Conscience': Yashwant Sinha As Voting Begins
Opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha addressed the media as the voting for the Presidential election began.
"I want to appeal to all voters to listen to their conscience. We all know party whips are not issued and its' a secret ballot. I expect people to use their discretion and vote for me to save democracy," he said.
CM Jagan Casts First Vote in Andhra
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cast the first vote as polling process for the presidential election got underway at 10 am in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Speaker Tammineni Sitaram was the next to exercise his franchise. Several ministers then cast their votes.
The ruling YSR Congress pledged its support to the NDA's presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu. The Opposition, Telugu Desam Party, has also backed Murmu.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin Vote
CM MK Stalin cast his vote for the Presidential elections in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan Casts Vote
Goraphpur MP Ravi Kishan cast his vote for the Presidential elections.
Former PM Manmohan Singh Arrives at Parliament
Former PM Manmohan Singh arrived at the Parliament on a wheelchair to cast his vote in the Presidential elections. Singh is currently the Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan.
Ravjeev Shukla Takes Oath as Rajya Sabha MP
Congress leader Rajeev Shukla took oath as a Rajya Sabha MP from Chhattisgarh.
Some Cong MLAs Will Vote as Per their Conscience: Maha BJP Chief
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Monday said he was sure that some of the Congress MLAs who remained absent during the Eknath Shinde government's trust vote will vote as per their conscience in favour of National Democratic Alliance's presidential poll candidate Droupadi Murmu.
Speaking to reporters in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan premises where voting was underway for the presidential election, Patil said the Congress cannot even guard its own MLAs.
"I am sure that some Congress MLAs who remained absent during the vote of confidence will apply their conscience this time as well,” he quipped.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut Takes Oath as Maharashtra RS MP
NCP's Praful Patel Takes Oath as Maharashtra RS MP
Voting for Presidential Election at Bengal Assembly
Polling for the presidential election began in West Bengal assembly at 10 am on Monday morning with lawmakers of both ruling TMC and opposition BJP queuing up at the assembly premises to cast their votes.
Senior TMC leader and Minister Firhad Hakim said the aim is to ensure that opposition presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha gets a handsome lead from the state.
“The lead that Yashwant Sinha will get will be beyond all calculations. We are sure that even BJP MLAs will vote for our candidate,” he said.
Major non-BJP parties of the country have named Sinha, a former union minister, as the joint nominee for the presidential election.
Cricketer Harbhajan Singh Takes Oath as RS MP
Randeep Surjewala Takes Oath as RS MP from Rajasthan
P Chidambaram Takes Oath as Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu
Voting Underway in MP Assembly
Legislators queued up in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly complex on Monday to cast their vote to elect the country's next president.
Chief Minister and senior BJP leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan was among the early voters.
Kapil Sibal Takes Oath as Independent RS MP
Lok Sabha Adjourned Till 2:00 pm
The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2:00 pm soon after commencement.
Former PM Manmohan Singh Casts Vote
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cast his vote for the Presidential election.
Goa CM Pramod Sawant Casts Vote for Presidential Polls
Goa CM Pramod Sawant cast his vote in the election being held for the post of President of India in Goa assembly.
"Casted my vote for the 16th Presidential Election for the glorious Indian Democracy, from the Goa Legislative Assembly. It is indeed a moment of pride and happiness that a self made women from Tribal Community will be the President of India," he tweeted.
Jayant Sinha Casts Vote for Presidential Election
Jayant Sinha, BJP MP and son of Opposition's Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha, cast his vote for the Presidential election.
Himachal Pradesh CM Casts Vote
Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur cast his vote in the election for the election for the President of India.
Newly Inducted Lok Sabha MPs Take Oath
BJP MP from Azamgarh (Uttar Pradesh) Dinesh Lal "Nirahua" Yadav, TMC MP from Asansol (West Bengal) Shatrughan Sinha, and BJP MP from Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi take oath as Members of the Lok Sabha.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Casts Vote
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde cast vote for the Presidential Election at the Maharashtra Assembly.
Rajya Sabha Pays Tribute to Several Deceased Personalities
Rajya Sabha observed silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed. Chairman Naidu made obituary reference to former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, ex-UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and legendary Hindustani classical musician Pandit Shivkumar Sharma among others.
Opposition MPs Resort to Sloganeering in Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha saw a rocky start to the Monsoon Session with the Opposition MPs demanding a discussion of rise in prices and resorting to sloganeering.
Amit Shah Casts Vote
Union Home Minister Amit Shah cast his vote for the Presidential election, at Parliament.
Assam CM Casts Vote
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma cast his vote for the Presidential election, at the State Assembly.
Tribals in Odisha Invoke Lord Marangburu for Murmu's Win
Earthen lamps were lit and yajnas organised at various places of worship across Odisha on Sunday as BJP workers and people from tribal communities prayed for the victory of NDA's presidential poll candidate Droupadi Murmu, a resident of the state's Mayurbhanj district.
Members of the Santhal community, to which Murmu belongs, paid obeisance to deities Marangburu, Aera and Jaherayo in Mayurbhanj.
Supporters of the saffron party, along with Sangh Parivar karyakartas, chanted mantras and invoked Lord Jagannath, seeking his blessing for the “daughter of Odisha”, who is pitted against joint opposition candidate and former Union minister Yashwant Sinha.
Babulu Murmu, the nayeke (priest) of ‘Bada Putuka' jaher (place of worship) in Mayurbhanj, said, “Scores of people offered prayers for the grand success of Murmu during the day.” Similar congregations were also witnessed at over 3,000 jaher in the district.
“There was no festival as such. But the congregation of people at various places of worship in Mayurbhanj made it look like people were observing some local festival. Everyone is hopeful that Lord Marangburu will ensure the victory of Droupadi Murmu,” Rameswar Tudu of Juluku Jaher said.
Voting at Punjab, Haryana Assemblies Underway
Voting for the Presidential election in which NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against joint opposition pick Yashwant Sinha began at the Punjab and Haryana Assembly complexes at 10 am on Monday.
In Punjab, MLAs who cast their vote early in the day included Congress' Partap Bajwa, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Sukhjinder Randhawa, and AAP leader and cabinet minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.
In Haryana, Minister Kamal Gupta was the first to vote. Many MLAs from the ruling BJP- Jannayak Janata Party reached the Assembly complex for the polling while legislators from the main opposition Congress are expected to vote in the afternoon.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Casts Vote
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan casts his vote for the Presidential election, at the State Assembly in Thiruvananthapuram.
'Sena Supporting Droupadi Murmu': Aditya Thackeray
Speaking to the media, former Maharashtra minister Aditya Thackeray said: "In today's Presidential election, Shiv Sena is supporting Droupadi* Murmu. We believe that Presidential polls are different from any political election. It's the highest post & vote should be cast for a suitable candidate. So we took this decision."
Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel Casts Vote
Union Minister Anupriya Patel flashed victory sign after casting her vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Tripura CM Manik Saha Casts Vote
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha cast his vote for the election of the President, at Tripura Assembly in Agartala.
Jitan Ram Manjhi Casts Vote in Patna
HAM-S chief Jitan Ram Manjhi flashed victory sign after he cast his vote for the election of the President, at the State Assembly in Patna.
Voting Underway in Telangana Legislative Assembly
Voting is underway in the Telangana Legislative Assembly here on Monday to elect the 15th President of India.
The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLAs, who assembled at the party headquarters at Banjara Hills, reached the Assembly premises led by party Working President and minister K T Rama Rao.
TRS is supporting the candidature of joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the Presidential poll.
Polling Underway in Uttarakhand
Voting for the Presidential election in which NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against joint opposition pick Yashwant Sinha is underway at the state Assembly in Dehradun.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri, cabinet ministers Subodh Uniyal, Premchand Aggrawal and Rekha Arya were among the first to cast their votes.
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Yashpal Arya and Congress MLA from Haridwar (rural) Anupama Rawat also voted in the morning.
Gujarat NCP MLA Votes for Murmu
Gujarat NCP MLA Kandhal S Jadeja said he voted for NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murm.
Can't Support Somebody Who Called Mulayam ISI Agent: Shivpal
Shivpal Yadav said that he voted for Droupadi Murmu.
"The one (Yashwant Sinha) who called netaji an ISI agent, we can never support him. Hardcore SP leaders, those who follow netaji's principles will never support a candidate who levelled such allegations," he told ANI.
'Sure That Outcome Will Be in Favour of Murmu': Haryana CM ML Khattar
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar stated that Murmu will secure more votes in Haryana than are already expected in her favour.
"I am sure the outcome on July 21 will be in favour of Droupadi Murmu. We will attend the oath-taking ceremony on July 25. From Haryana, we will get even more votes than we have accounted for in her favour," he was quoted as saying.
'My Personal Decision': Odisha Congress MLA Votes for Murmu
Odisha Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim said he had voted for NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.
"It's my personal decision as I've listened to my heart which guided me to do something for the soil and that's why voted for her," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
Telangana CM KCR Casts His Vote
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao casts his vote in the presidential poll.
Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy Casts Vote
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cast his vote in the presidential election.
Lok Sabha Adjourned Amid Oppn Uproar Over Price Rise
Lok Sabha proceedings have been adjourned for the day amid Opposition's protests over the issue of price rise.
'Listening to Sentiments of Sikh Community': Akali Dal MLA Boycotts Voting
An Akali Dal MLA has deviated from to party stand, and has said he will refrain from voting.
In a Facebook video, MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali announced that he is boycotting the election, as he can't vote for the Congress candidate as they are "responsible for the 1984 Sikh genocide", operation Bluestar, and violation of the rights of Sikhs. "I don't have any faith in Congress to resolve the issues of Punjab," he said.
He said he had high hopes from the BJP, but even after being in power at the Centre they didn't resolve Punjab's issues.
"Listening to the sentiments of the Sikh community, the issues of Punjab, and the voice of my conscience, I am not voting for the candidate of any party in the presidential election today," he said.
Himachal CM Jairam Thakur Votes in Shimla
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur casts his vote for the election of the next president, at Himachal Pradesh Assembly in Shimla.
Smriti Irani Flashes Victory Sign After Voting in Delhi
Union Minister Smriti Irani with other MPs flashed the victory sign after casting her vote for the election of the president, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Haryana CM ML Khattar Casts His Vote
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar cast his vote in the presidential elections.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Mansukh Mandaviya Cast Vote
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya and Defence Minister Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the voting for India's next president.
Sharad Pawar Casts His Vote
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar cast his vote in the presidential elections. His party is supporting Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.
Akhilesh Yadav, Father Mulayam Singh Yadav Vote in Presidential Poll
As polling continues, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav cast their votes for the next president.
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, Oil Minister Hardeep Puri Vote
Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India Hardeep Singh Puri cast their votes in Monday's election.
'Hope Murmu Gets Maximum Votes From Assam': Himanta
"We hope that NDA's candidate Droupadi Murmu will get maximum votes from our state," said Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, after he cast his vote in the election.
Jaya Bachchan Votes in Presidential Election
Actress and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan cast her vote in today's presidential election.
Union Minister of Sports Anurag Thakur Casts Vote
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur cast his vote.
JP Nadda Casts His Vote at Parliament House
BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda participated in the voting for the presidential election, at the Parliament House in Delhi.
Sonia Gandhi Casts Vote
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi cast her vote for the Presidential elections.
Shashi Tharoor, Mallikarjun Kharge Cast Votes
Congress MPs Malikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor cast their votes in the Parliament House for the Presidential elections.
Akali Dal MLA Boycotts Presidential Elections
Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali announced in a Facebook video that he is boycotting the Presidential election.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Casts Vote
Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi casts vote for Presidential election.
MDMK MP Vaiko Casts Vote
MDMK MP Vaiko casts his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh Casts Vote
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Giriraj Singh casts his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Meenakshi Lekhi Casts Vote
Union MoS for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi casts her vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Union Minister VK Singh Casts Vote
Union MoS for Civil Aviation General VK Singh flashed the victory sign after casting his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Dharmendra Pradhan Casts Vote
Union Minister and BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan casts his vote in the Parliament for the Presidential polls.
Bihar BJP MLA Arrives on Stretcher to Cast His Vote
BJP MLA Mithilesh Kumar, who had met with a road accident about a month ago, arrived on a stretcher to cast his vote in Patna.
BJP MLA from UP Casts Vote in Kerala
A BJP MLA from UP voted in the Presidential polls on Monday.
BJP's Sevapuri MLA Neel Ratan Singh Patel, who is currently undergoing an Ayurvedic treatment at a hospital in northern Palakkad district, traveled upto Thiruvananthapuram to exercise his franchise at a polling station set up at the state Assembly complex.
"I am very lucky that I have got an opportunity to cast my vote for the presidential poll in this beautiful state," Patel told PTI after casting his vote.
Prez Poll: 59/60 MLAs Cast Votes till Noon in Arunachal
As many as 59 MLAs out of 60 in Arunachal Pradesh exercised their franchise till 12 pm on Monday to elect the new President of India, Assembly secretary K Habung said.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his deputy Chowna Mein were among the early ones to cast votes at Nokmey Namati Hall of the Assembly, Habung stated.
BJP lawmaker Lokam Tassar is yet to exercise his franchise.
Taking to Twitter, Khandu said, “One of India's Most Defining Moments. Privileged to cast my vote for 16th Presidential election in State Assembly Premises, today.” All four Congress MLAs including, former chief minister Nabam Tuki, have also cast their votes.
Elections for President, VP are Fight About Ideology Not Individual Candidates: Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday said elections for the president and vice president are a fight about ideology and not individual candidates.
NDA's vice presidential candidate West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar is from Rajasthan who is pitted against joint opposition candidate Margaret Alva who has been the former governor of the state.
"He (Dhankar) has become a candidate from Rajasthan just like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat once became (the VP candidate).
"If a candidate is from the state, there may be sentiments (for him) among people here, but the voting pattern will remain based on ideology," he said. Gehlot said the chairman of both the houses of Parliament from Rajasthan is a pleasant coincidence.
Congress MLA in Odisha Casts Vote for Murmu
Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim voted in favour of NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu as she happened to be a “daughter of Odisha”.
Immediately after exercising his franchise in the Assembly, the legislator from Cuttack-Barabati assembly segment said he went by his “conscience call”.
“I am an Odia, I voted in favour of Droupadi Murmu as she is a daughter of Odisha. I went by my conscience. MLAs cannot be prevented from listening to their conscience,” Moquim stated.
Abhishek Banerjee Casts Vote
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee cast vote for Presidential elections.
Nisith Pramanik, Mulayam Singh Given Fresh Ballots After First Voting Attempt Fails
BJP leader Nisith Pramanik and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav were issued fresh ballots after they could not cast their votes properly in the first attempt in the presidential poll being held Monday.
Yadav arrived in Parliament in a wheelchair, but faltered while casting his vote, and was given another chance to do so, sources said.
Pramanik also could not cast his vote properly in the first attempt, they said, adding he was also allowed a second chance as per rules.
CM, Legislators Cast vote in Presidential Poll in Puducherry
All the 30 legislators belonging to AINRC-led ruling front, independents and the opposition DMK and Congress exercised their franchise in the Puducherry assembly on Monday to elect the 15th President of India.
Congress Lok Sabha MP, V Vaithilingam also cast his vote in Puducherry.
The leader of opposition, R Siva along with all his party colleagues and also two Congress MLAs M Vaithianathan and Ramesh Parambath and the Lok Sabha member were the first to turn up at the booth to cast the votes.
TMC MP Satrughan Sinha Casts Vote
TMC MP Satrughan Sinha voted for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Casts Vote
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari cast his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha Casts Vote
AAP MP Raghav Chadha cast his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Harbhajan Singh Casts Vote
AAP MP Harbhajan Singh cast his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh Casts Vote
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh cast his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Casts Vote
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya cast his vote for the election of the President, at Parliament House in New Delhi.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh Casts Vote
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh casts his vote for the election of the President.
P Chidambaram Casts Vote
Congress MP P Chidambaram casts his vote for the election of the President.
BJP MP Gautam Gambhir Casts Vote
BJP MP Gautam Gambhir cast his vote for the election of the President.
Bommai, Yediyurappa Cast Vote in Karnataka Assembly
Chief Minsiter Basavaraj Bommai and senior leader B S Yediyurappa cast votes for the election of the President.
LJP MP Chirag Paswan Casts Vote
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan casts his vote for the election of the President.
Mamata Banerjee Casts Vote in Bengal Assembly
Mamata Banerjee cast vote in West Bengal Assembly for the Presidential election.
Voting for Presidential Election Concludes
The voting process for India's next President concluded on Monday, 18 July, with ballots being cast by MPs in the Parliament House in Delhi and by MLAs and chief ministers in state assemblies across the country.
All But 3 of 175 Andhra MLAs Vote in Presidential Election
Polling for the presidential election ended in Andhra Pradesh as all but three of the 175 MLAs cast their votes in the Legislative Assembly polling station here on Monday.
Voting that began at 10 am, with Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy casting the first vote, concluded at 3.15 pm when Guntur MLA Maddali Giridhar (TDP rebel) cast the last vote.
Two Telugu Desam MLAs, Nandamuri Balakrishna and Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, were among the notable absentees as they were said to be on a foreign visit.
The ruling YSR Congress' M Mahidhar obtained special permission and exercised his franchise in the Telangana Legislative Assembly as he was undergoing treatment in Hyderabad.
Akhilesh, Shivpal Spar Over Sinha's 'ISI Agent' Remark on Mulayam Singh
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday accused his uncle Shivpal Yadav of working on the BJP's "directions" to target Yashwant Sinha, saying the opposition's Presidential candidate had in the past called SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav an " ISI agent".
Speaking to reporters at the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Bhavan, Akhilesh said, "There was an 'ishara' (direction) from Delhi (by the BJP) after which a deputy chief minister tweeted an old newspaper article highlighting Sinha's 'ISI agent' comment on Mulayam and then it was circulated (by Shivpal Yadav)".
Shivpal, who had turned up in the assembly for the poll, told reporters, "A 'pakka' (staunch) Samajwadi and a diehard follower of Netaji will never tolerate anyone terming him an ISI agent and will never vote for that person.
99.18% MPs Voted in Presidential Polls
Speaking to the the media, PC Mody, Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, said that 736 electors including 727 members of Parliament and nine legislative assembly members were permitted by the Election Commission to vote, out of which 730 cast their votes. The voter turnout was 99.18%.
"Assisting returning officers of various states will start arriving with sealed ballot boxes via roads and flights today evening itself. Necessary security arrangements for safe transit from the airport to parliament house have been made," he told the media," he said.
58 of 60 Tripura MLAs Cast Vote in Tripura
Out of the total 60 MLAs of Tripura, 58 cast their vote in the Presidential election on Monday, Speaker Ratan Chakraborty said.
A legislator of the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of the ruling BJP-led coalition in the state, and a CPI(M) MLA who was ailing did not exercise their franchise here, he said.
283 Maharashtra MLAs Take Part in Voting
As many as 283 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Maharashtra took part in voting for the Presidential poll that concluded here on Monday, said an official.
The state assembly has 288 seats and its current strength is 287, of which 283 MLAs cast their votes to elect the 15th President, said the Vidhan Bhavan official.
BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap, who is unwell, Shiv Sena legislator Mahendra Dalvi, a member of the rebel camp led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and jailed NCP lawmakers Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh did not vote, he said.
All 230 MLAs in Madhya Pradesh Cast Vote
All the 230 MLAs in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, on Monday cast their votes to elect the next President.
“All 230 members of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly voted for the presidential polls by 3.30 PM," an official said.
12 States See 100% Turnout
100% voting by MLAs was reported from the states of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.