BJP MP Sunny Deol among those who abstains from Presidential election polls, Draupadi Murmu ensures huge victory

NEW DELHI: Eight representatives including a BJP MP abstained from voting in Presidential polls. BJP MP Sunny Deol was among the ones who didn't vote. The voting list of 4809 people, including MPs and MLAs, was prepared in the polling which started this morning.

As the voting ends, BJP's Draupadi Murmu has ensured victory by securing more than 60 percent votes. Murmu had the support of 41 parties including opposition parties. Murmu got the support of the opposition parties Shiv Sena, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Janata Dal Secular. Apart from this, YSR Congress and Biju Janata Dal have also announced their support for the NDA candidate. Aam Aadmi Party's support to Yashwant Sinha at the last moment, was the only notable achievement of the opposition.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister, ex-Governor and Congress leader Margaret Alva (80) has been announced as the opposition's candidate for Vice-presidential election. Nomination papers will be submitted tomorrow.

The decision was taken at a meeting of opposition leaders held yesterday at the residence of NCP President Sharad Pawar yesterday. Pawar informed that the decision was taken unanimously by 17 opposition parties. Trinamool Congress and AAP didn't attend the meeting. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Rawat said that he will contact Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal. The meeting was attended by opposition leaders Mallikarjuna Kharge, Sitaram Yechury, T R Balu, Sanjay Rawat, D. Raja, Binoy Viswam, Vaiko, Keshav Rao, Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, E T Mohammad Basheer and Amarendra Dhari Singh. The Vice Presidential election is on August 6.