Cross-voting in Presidential election in Maharashtra

Mumbai July 20 (IANS) The voting results from Maharashtra in the Presidential election suggest cross-voting by some opposition legislators in favour of NDA candidate and winner Ram Nath Kovind.

According to the results of the total 288 legislators 287 voted. The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi MLA from Palghar was abroad.

Of the 287 votes cast 208 went for Kovind while UPA nominee Meira Kumar secured 77. Two votes were rejected as invalid.

The BJP has 122 and Shiv Sena 63 legislators totalling 185 in the legislature. The Congress has 42 and the Nationalist Congress Party has 41 members totalling 83 legislators.

There are seven independents who had pledged support to Kovind besides three legislators each of PWP and BVA AIMIM (2) MNS CPI-M RSP and BBM one each.

The NDA was hopeful of getting the support of at least 199 legislators - the BJP s 122 Sena s 63 and seven independents -- for Kovind in Maharashtra.

But 208 votes were polled for Kovind - a clear indication that some opposition legislators may have voted for the NDA nominee.

A couple of days before the election the group leader of the seven independent legislators Ravi Rana elected from Badnera in eastern Maharashtra had claimed that several Congress-NCP legislators were likely to vote for Kovind.

Since the outcome none of the main opposition parties in the state have officially commented on the voting figures.

--IANS
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