NCP leader Praful Patel said Ram Nath Kovind will win today even though his party supports Meira Kumar
There is no rocket science involved in predicting that the ruling
NDA's nominee Ram Nath Kovind would win
the presidential poll, senior NCP leader Praful Patel said today.
Mr Patel also expressed the hope that a candidate who could protect the Constitution would win the election. The NCP is backing the opposition's joint candidate Meira Kumar for the election, the numbers for which are tilted in favour of the BJP-led NDA.
"There is no rocket science, Ram Nath Kovind will win today," Mr Patel said in
the Parliament House complex.
"Because all MPs don't necessarily vote only according to conscience, they also vote according to party lines and party lines are divided somewhat on ideology, principles and political positioning.
"So, I don't read too much into any other statement, except the fact that this is a clear case of the NDA scoring big in terms of the numbers," he added.
Notwithstanding the numbers being in favour of the NDA, he said every election had its importance and this applied to the presidential poll as well.
The voting for the election began at 10 am today and will continue till 5 pm.
The poll result will be declared on July 20.
Read more on
Presidential election here.