Presidential poll: BJP expects a big win

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 20

Amid the counting of votes to elect the next President of India, the ruling BJP is expecting a big win for the ruling NDA's nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

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Sources claim that Kovind may get close to 70 per cent votes in the fight against Opposition's candidate Meira Kumar. The assertions are backed by reports of cross-voting, which again brought in open fissures in Opposition unity.

Not only Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his party JD (U) broke away from Opposition ranks in July 17 Presidential poll and voted for the NDA candidate Kovind, senior Samajwadi Party leaders, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav, too, went with the NDA candidate, and so did a rebel Congress legislator and six Trinamool Congress legislators in Manipur.

However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee maintained a vigil to ensure her flock stayed together.

That Kovind would be the next occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan is a foregone conclusion. But senior BJP leaders say votes polled in favour of Kovind will also “conclusively bust myths of Opposition unity “

Exuding confidence that Kovind will win with more than a comfortable majority, they say he may even draw around 70 per cent votes, given the way lawmakers from some Opposition parties supporting Kumar also “voted against her”. The BJP and its allies hold around 63 per cent of the total vote value of the Electoral College.

BJP chief Amit Shah, who personally supervised Kovind’s election, say these polls are a way to reaffirm the party’s reach and supremacy and the disarray in Opposition camp ahead of the 2019 General Election. Sources say he has also asked senior leaders and party chief ministers to reach out to Opposition legislators in favour of Kovind.

Meanwhile, the name of the next occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan would be known by 5.00 pm.

An Election Commission official, who has witnessed previous two presidential polls, said usually results are declared around 5 pm.

Close to 99 per cent voting was recorded for electing India's next President.

Thirty two polling stations, including the one in Parliament house, have been set up in various states.

A total of 4,896 voters, 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs, were eligible to cast their ballot. MLCs of states with legislative council are not part of the electoral college.

While the value of an MLA's vote depends on the population of the state he or she belongs to, the value of an MP's vote remains the same at 708.

The numbers are stacked in favour of the ruling coalition's nominee Kovind, a former Bihar governor, over the opposition's candidate and former Lok Sabha Speaker Kumar.  With PTI inputs