Mail News Service
Imphal, July 19: All the 60 MLAs of Manipur have voted for the UPA sponsored candidate, Pranab Mukherjee. Two former Speakers of the Congress party, TN Haokip and I Hemochandra were the polling agents for the Congress. Voting to elect a new President began here today at the Manipur Legislative Assembly at 10 am amid tight security. United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pranab Mukherjee and Opposition-backed PA Sangma are in the fray.
Chief Minister O Ibobi was the first elector to cast his vote in the presidential poll began at 10 am and ended at 5 pm. Next to him, Speaker Th Lokeshwar gave his vote and followed by other MLAs.Six MLAs cast their votes till 12:35 pm.
Chief Minister, O Ibobi said all the MLAs voted for Pranab Mukherjee.
Congress Gaikhangam said it is a historic event in the history of the state and he extended gratitude to all for supporting Pranab Mukherjee. It is a remarkable accomplishment during his term as President of Congress and O Ibobi’s stint as Chief Minister. There was no bargaining but the party requested all political parties to support Pranab Mukherjee, Gaikhangam said. All the political parties on their own conveyed the decision to support Pranab he further said.
Gaikhangam said regarding the issue of Congress President he will abide by the decision taken by the AICC. His term will end in Sep 2015. He further said ten new police stations will be opened.
The police stations in the state will now have about 50 to 60 personnel . He further said the police headquarter will alsob e constructed at a suitable place. The government is considering few places.
The state has 60 MLAs which include 42 Congress MLAs, 7 Trinamool Congress MLAs, 5 MSCP MLAs, 4 NPF MLAs and one MLA each from NCP and Lok Janshakti Party. The state has three Congress MPs hence all the votes of the state have gone to Pranab Mukherjee. Gaikhangam said the three Congress MPs have also exercised their franchise at Parliament House.
The value of a vote of an MLA of the State is 18. For the 60 MLAs the total vote value from the state will be 1080.The value of the votes of the three MPs of the state is 708. Indira, Secy Manipur Legislative Assembly and M Ramani, Dy Secy are the two AROs and Anup Chandra Pandey the Election Observer. The ballot box will be sealed and the AROs will personally take it to Parliament House tomorrow .
A confident Pranab Mukherjee cast his vote in Parliament earlier in the day looking all set to occupy the nation’s highest position. He was flanked by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Pranab Mukherjee’s son, Abhijit Mukherjee, appeared to be delighted about the presidential election.
“First time may be in Indian history, the presidential candidate himself is a voter from Lok Sabha, and his direct descendent son is also a voter form one of the assemblies. This may be the first time in the history of Indian presidential elections, the first time. It is a great feeling,” he said.
Incumbent President Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s term is coming to an end on July 24.
Pranab Mukherjee’s chances got a major boost on Tuesday after West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee pledged to support him the Raisina Hill race.
4,896 lawmakers- 776 MPs and 4,120 MLAs are voting in Parliament and state assemblies. They do not use EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines). Each of them will list their preference on a ballot paper.
The total vote value is 10.98 lakh and a winning candidate needs to get 5,49,442 vote value if all of them exercise franchise.
The votes will be counted on Sunday and the result is likely to be known by early evening.
Besides the UPA and its four supporting parties-SP, BSP, RJD, JD (S), NDA partners JD (U) and Shiv Sena as also the CPI (M) and Forward Bloc have declared their support for Mukherjee.
There are around 32,000 votes with smaller parties, who have no presence in parliament but have legislators in the states.
Sangma, a former Lok Sabha Speaker, jumped into the fray playing the tribal card with the initial support of the Biju Janata Dal and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
The BJP and Akali Dal decided to back Sangma, who quit the NCP, the party he founded with Sharad Pawar, to contest the election.
The President of India is the head of state of the Republic of India. The President is the formal head of the legislature, executive and judiciary branches of Indian Democracy and is the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. The powers to pardon and clemency are vested with the President of India.
The President is elected, from a group of nominees, by the elected members of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) as well as of the state legislatures (Vidhan Sabhas), and serves for a term of five years.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/three-mps-60-mlas-of-manipur-vote-for-pranab-mukherjee/
