Presidential polls: Voting starts at Uttar Pradesh Assembly

Five MLAs from the state will cast their vote outside the state poll due to personal reasons, Dubey had earlier said.NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against joint Opposition pick Yashwant Sinha in the much-awaited poll to elect the next President of India. The MPs and MLAs will get ballot papers of different colours when they vote to elect the next President of India.

Voting for the presidential elections commenced at the Uttar Pradesh Assembly’s Tilak Hall on Monday morning. The voting will continue till 5.00 pm, a senior official said. Brij Bhushan Dubey, the returning officer for the elections in Uttar Pradesh, said all legislators were informed and told what precautions they have to take. The MLAs will have to use a special pen given by the Election Commission of India to vote, he said. Three polling booths have been set up. Two ballot boxes, which have come from Delhi, will be sent back to the national capital after voting is completed on July 18, Dubey said. The counting will take place in Delhi on July 21, he said. With the highest vote value of 208 for each of its 403 MLAs, Uttar Pradesh will be an important state to watch out for in the presidential elections. Five MLAs from the state will cast their vote outside the state poll due to personal reasons, Dubey had earlier said.

NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against joint Opposition pick Yashwant Sinha in the much-awaited poll to elect the next President of India. The electoral college which elects the president through the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote comprises MPs and members of the state legislative assemblies.

Nominated MPs, MLAs and members of legislative councils are not entitled to vote in this election. The MPs and MLAs will get ballot papers of different colours when they vote to elect the next President of India. While MPs will get green papers, the MLAs will get ballot papers printed in pink. Major political parties have already announced their support for the candidates.

In the opposition camp, Samajwadi Party ally Om Prakash Rajbhar's Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party has broken ranks while declaring support to Murmu.