In Kerala, Meira Kumar is the winner

Thiruvananthapuram July 20 (IANS) NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind may have been elected the new President of India on Thursday but in Kerala it was his rival UPA-backed Meira Kumar who won effortlessly.

When votes polled in the 139-member Kerala Assembly were counted on Thursday all votes barring one from the lone BJP legislator O. Rajagopal went in favour of Meira Kumar.

This is the first time a candidate who received votes from the traditional rival fronts in Kerala ended up losing the battle.

The value of one vote from Kerala is 152 and one seat in the assembly is lying vacant.

In the Lok Sabha there are 20 members from Kerala while the Rajya Sabha has nine. All these votes were cast in favour of Meira Kumar as the BJP does not have any member in both houses of parliament from here.

Earlier in 2007 and 2011 when legislators from both the Left and the Congress-led UDF voted for the same candidate their nominee had won.

On Thursday Kovind also became the second member from the Dalit community to be elected President the first person being K.R. Narayanan -- who hailed from Kottayam district in Kerala.

--IANS
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