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Counting of votes for Presidential poll : Ram Nath Kovind leads by one lakh votes

| | Jul 20, 2017, at 07:50 pm
New Delhi, Jul 20 (IBNS) : NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind leads by 1 lakh votes over his opponent Meira Kumar predictably on his way to the Rashtrapati Bhavan as counting of votes for the Presidential poll is underway, reports said.

According to reports, the name of India's 14th President is expected to be known by around 5 pm and whoever wins, India will have its second Dalit President after KR Naryanan.

The votes are being counted  on four separate tables and there would be eight rounds of counting.

According to procedure, the ballot box from Parliament House would be opened first, followed by ballot boxes from states, in an alphabetical order.

Experts have opined that NDA backed Ram Nath Kovind is the firm favourite, who took on Meira Kumar, the opposition candidate.

Almost 99 percent voting was recorded on Monday, the highest ever in a Presidential vote.

A total of 4,895 voters -- 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs -- were eligible to cast their ballot.

However, Madhya Pradesh Minister Narottam Mishra was barred from voting as the election commission disqualified him over 'paid news' allegations.

Seventyone-year-old Ram Nath Kovind is a farmer’s son.  The former Bihar Governor has also served two terms as a member of the Rajya Sabha. He is also a trained lawyer who has appeared at the High Court and Supreme Court.

: Opposition nominee Meira Kumar has been a five-time Member of Parliament. In 2009, she was elected as the first woman Speaker of Lok Sabha, replacing Somnath Chaterjee.

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