Presidential poll: Voting underway in Chhattisgarh; BJP MLA 1st to cast vote

Voting for electing the country's next president was underway on Monday in the Chhattisgarh Assembly complex.

BJP MLA from Kurud constituency Ajay Chandrakar was the first House member in the Congress-ruled state to cast his ballot.

Congress MLA from Kondagaon and Chhattisgarh party unit chief Mohan Markam, state Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu also cast their votes, an Assembly official said.

The National Democratic Alliance's candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against the opposition's nominee Yashwant Sinha in the presidential poll.

Voting started in the Chhattisgarh Assembly complex at 10 am.

Before the voting began, the ballot boxes were shifted to the polling centre from the strongroom in the presence of Chief Electoral Officer P Dayanand. Congress MLA Mohit Kerketta and BJP legislator Dr Krishna Murty Bandhi were present during the shifting process, the official said.

In the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly, the Congress has 71 MLAs, while the BJP has 14 members. There are also three MLAs are from the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and two from the Bahujan Samaj Party.