Prez poll: Amid cross-voting Kovind’s vote share lowest since 1974

The President election of 2017 has seen cross-voting in many states. In Rajasthan where the BJP is in power, the opposition’s candidate Meira Kumar got 10 additional votes. The Congress has 24 MLAs, but it got 34 votes. According to Indian Express, party sources said 6 BJP MLAs, 2 independents and 2 BSP MLAs voted for Kumar. Senior BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav said the party has 160 MLAs, but got 166 votes.

“It is time for the BJP to introspect. There is dissatisfaction, not just among the people but also among the BJP’s MLAs. The MLAs have sent a message to the leadership that all is not well with the government in Rajasthan and the Chief Minister should introspect,” said State Congress president Sachin Pilot.

When asked about the cross-voting, Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said the Opposition’s unity was intact. He said the BJP had claimed that Ram Nath Kovind would get 70 per cent votes, but managed to get only around 65 per cent votes. “There has been cross-voting in favour of Meira Kumar also. In Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland…entire figures are still not available…we shall examine them,” he said.

Meanwhile in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Congress and CPI(M) were engaged in a blame game over cross-voting that took place during the presidential poll, with the opposition accusing the TMC of covertly helping the BJP.

The Trinamool Congress has denied the allegation.

The cross-voting, however, was welcomed by the BJP, which termed it as a signal of “the TMC fast losing ground in Bengal.”

Apart from cross-voting, 10 votes from the Assembly were also declared invalid.

“All 211 MLAs of the Trinamool voted for Meira Kumar. We do not know what the legislators of other parties may have done,” the TMC said in a statement.

The opposition Congress and CPI(M) denied the allegations that its legislators were involved in cross-voting and accused the TMC of “entering into a covert deal with the BJP” in order to save its leaders from CBI probe into Narada and Saradha scams.

“The CBI is investigating the Narada and Saradha scam cases. Several leaders of the TMC have already been summoned. That is why they have entered into a deal with the BJP in this presidential election. That is why TMC MLAs have cross voted,” West Bengal Congress Chief Adhir Chowdhury said.

In Maharashtra also, at least 6 MLAs of the Congress and the NCP in the Maharashtra Assembly seem to have voted for the victorious NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential poll. Kovind got the votes of 208 MLAs –23 more than the collective tally of MLAs of the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Opposition nominee Meira Kumar bagged votes from 77 MLAs, which is six less than the total strength of the two parties in the House.

Of the total MLAs, Maharashtra Bahujan Vikas Aghadi’s Kshitij Patil didn't vote in the presidential poll on July 17 as he was abroad, while votes from two MLAs were invalid, leaving votes from 285 lawmakers valid.

Interestingly, Ram Nath Kovind, the ruling NDA coalition’s candidate, may have won the presidential election comfortably, but his vote share is the lowest since 1974, figures reveal. He won 65. 65 per cent of the vote-share. It is the lowest victory margin since 1974 presidential poll.

Pranab Mukherjee (2012) secured 69.31% votes while Pratibha Patil (2007) got 65.82% of the total votes, marginally higher than the share secured by Kovid.

K R Narayanan (1997) and A P J Abdul Kalam (2002) bagged 94.97 per cent and 89.57 per cent respectively, the highest victory percentages since 1974. Only Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, in 1977, was elected unopposed to the top constitutional post. Gyani Zail Singh (1982) got 72.73 per cent votes, while R Venkatraman (1987) bagged 72.28 per cent. Shankar Dayal Sharma (1992) got 65.87 per cent.