New Delhi:
It's the final day of the race to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The counting of votes for the Presidential elections will take place today and the country will know who will replace Pratibha Patil. The Congress-led UPA has claimed its candidate - former Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee - will win around 70 per cent of the votes in the direct contest with PA Sangma, the former Lok Sabha Speaker who is backed by some opposition parties.
Mr Mukherjee's victory is almost certain, especially after Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress announced its support to him. Other than all the UPA allies, parties such as Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party as well as the Left are supporting the former Finance Minister.
The counting of ballots of MPs as well as the MLAs from all the states begun in the capital at 11 am this morning and the result is expected by late afternoon, according to officials. As per the norm, the ballot boxes from the states have been brought here for the counting.
(Live Blog)The polling percentage has been less than expected this time with only 72 per cent of the total votes - valued at 11 lakh - polled. Of the total votes polled - estimated to be around eight lakh - Mr Mukherjee is expecting around 5.6 lakh votes.
The new President will take oath on July 25.
As of now, only the vote of Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has been declared invalid by the Election Commission on the ground that he violated the code of secrecy by revealing his vote. During polling on Thursday, the Samajwadi Party chief had mistakenly ticked NDA candidate Purno Sangma's name instead of UPA's Pranab Mukherjee. Realising his error in time, he tore the ballot paper and then voted afresh.
Following the goof-up, Mr Sangma's polling agent complained to the Returning Officer and demanded that Mr Yadav's vote be cancelled. The complaint was then referred to the Election Commission, who rejected Mr Yadav's vote.