2nd preference votes not to make difference in Presidential results

New Delhi, July 18 (UNI) NDA-supported Independent candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's hopes of benefitting from the second preference votes in the Presidential polls tomorrow against UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil seems to have been dashed due to the contest being a straight fight and abstention of UNPA constituents from voting.

''The second preference votes in this election would not have much relevance as it is a straight fight between two candidates. The candidate who would get 50 per cent plus one of the valid votes polled will be a winner,'' Lok Sabha Secretary General P DT Achory, who is the Returning Officer for the Presidential polls, told UNI.

He said that the relevance of second preference votes comes only if it was a multicornered contest. Whenever there were three or four candidates, the second preference votes are generally used for the elimination of the candidates getting the least number of votes and their votes are transferred to those getting maximum votes.

Mr Achary said that in the history of Indian democracy, the second preference votes made difference only during 1969 presidential polls when Mr V V Giri, who was then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's choice, benefitted and won the elections against the party's official candidate Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.

Regarding the abstaining of MPs belonging to eight UNPA constituents, he said that election result would depend only on the number of valid votes polled. The total number of MPs who would have abstained could be found only after the polling process was over by tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has already said said that voting in the Presidential polls was not mandatory and abstaining would not attract disqualification. However, it has cautioned political parties against giving directions or issuing whip for abstaining to its MPs as it would tantamount to undue interference in the polling process.

UNI