Manmohan Singh, In Wheelchair, Votes In Presidential Election

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in a wheelchair today to vote in the presidential election.

Voting took place by secret ballot in parliament and in state legislatures across the country today to elect a new President of India.

Former Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu is the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, set to win the election, while her opposition rival is Yashwant Sinha.

Manmohan Singh, 89, was seen for the first time at the parliament house in a wheelchair. The veteran had taken leave for the winter session of parliament last year on health grounds. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on October 13 last year after he complained of weakness following a fever. He was discharged from the hospital on October 31.

Visuals of the Congress leader casting his vote, helped by four officials, were in wide circulation and drew scores of tweets from Congress leaders and his supporters.

Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among those who were seen casting their votes in the first hour of voting.

Many Congress leaders called the former Prime Minister an inspiration.

"Sardar Manmohan Singh, who reached parliament to fulfill his democratic responsibility despite his poor health, is an inspiration for all of us. God bless him with good health and a long life," tweeted BV Srinivas, the head of the Youth Congress.

Many wished that Manmohan Singh regained his good health at the earliest. “Sad to see him like this,” tweeted some Congress leaders, commenting on a video that showed officials helping him up from the wheelchair.

Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister of India twice between 2004 and 2014. He is a Congress Rajya Sabha member.