Presidential poll: Voting in Punjab, Haryana assemblies ends; SAD leader Ayali boycotts

Voting for the Presidential election ended even as Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali announced to boycott the poll over various ''unresolved'' issues related to Punjab.

In the neighbouring Haryana, Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, who had cross-voted in last month's Rajya Sabha polls, said he voted in the Presidential election according to his ''conscience''.

Necessary arrangements for the polling had been made at the Vidhan Sabha complexes and the voting was held from 10 am to 5 pm, officials said.

After casting his vote, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he was fortunate to have voted for the second time in the Presidential poll.

''Last time, I cast my vote when I was an MP. This time, being an MLA, I exercised my franchise at the Punjab Vidhan Sabha,'' he said.

''If any election takes place, not only in Punjab but in the country, it is a festival. Today, we became a part of this festival,'' he added.

In Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, and most other MLAs of the ruling BJP-JJP combine and the Independents voted in the first few hours of the polling while legislators from the main opposition Congress exercised their franchise in the afternoon.

Kuldeep Bishnoi cast his vote in Delhi. ''Like Rajya Sabha, I have cast my vote in this election too as per my conscience,'' he said, indicating he supported the NDA candidate.

When reporters asked him about his future course of action, Bishnoi replied, ''I will reveal this soon.'' Replying to a question, Bishnoi said he feels ''the Congress is no longer the party it used to be during Indira ji or Rajiv ji's time'', and added common workers and even tall leaders ''don't get that respect in Congress anymore''.

Prior to last month's Rajya Sabha polls, Bishnoi, younger son of former Haryana chief minister late Bhajan Lal, said he would vote according to his conscience.

The Jannayak Janta Party's Naina Chautala could not exercise her franchise as she was out of the country.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislator from Dakha constituency in Punjab Manpreet Singh Ayali boycotted the Presidential poll and blamed the BJP-led Centre as well as the previous Congress-led government in the state for ''failing to resolve'' issues related to Punjab.

With this announcement, Ayali went against his own party, which supports NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu.

In a video message, Ayali said he was boycotting the poll at his own level. He also said the party leadership did not consult him before deciding to support Murmu.

Ayali alleged the previous Congress-led regime at the Centre always discriminated against Punjab.

He said there was a huge expectation from the BJP but ''our issues remain unresolved''.

He also sought the implementation of the recommendations given by the Iqbal Singh Jhundan-led panel, which is learnt to have recommended changes in the party leadership.

The SAD had set up a 13-member committee to analyse the reasons for its humiliating defeat in the 2022 state assembly polls.

Currently, Sukhbir Singh Badal is the SAD president.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said he was sure of Murmu's victory with a huge margin on July 21.

''We will attend the oath-taking ceremony on July 25... From Haryana, we will get more votes than we have accounted for in her favour,'' Khattar said.

On the other hand, Punjab Congress MLA Khaira said the party leaders voted for Yashwant Sinha and ''we expect him to be the country's next President''.

In the 117-member Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the AAP has 92 MLAs while the Congress has 18.

The SAD has three legislators while the BJP has two, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) one and there is one Independent MLA.

The AAP and the Congress declared their support to Sinha while the SAD and BSP supported Murmu.

In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the vote value of each of the MLAs is 112.

In Haryana, the BJP has 40 MLAs while the Congress has 31, though Bishnoi had earlier turned rebel.

The JJP, an ally of the BJP, has 10 legislators while the Indian National Lok Dal and Haryana Lokhit Party, which are supporting the NDA candidate, have one MLA each.

Seven are Independents.

All the 10 Lok Sabha MPs from Haryana are from the BJP.

Three of the five Rajya Sabha MPs from the state are from the BJP, one is a BJP-backed Independent while one member belongs to the Congress.