260 legislators of W B Assy cast votes for Presidential election

Kolkata, July 19 (UNI) But for one member, the Trinamool Congress abstained from voting even as 260 of the 293 legislators of the West Bengal Assembly exercised their franchise in the 13th Presidential election today.

Even though two SUCI members also stayed away from voting, an overwhelming force of 254 Left Front and Congress MLAs--all vouching support to Ms Pratibha Patil, took part in the polling.

Announcing that all the votes were valid, Assistant Returning Officer and Presiding Officer J L Chakraborty told reporters that the actual strength of the 294-seat House was reduced to 293 following the death of Mr Dibakanta Raut, a CPI(M) MLA from Balagarh while Congress member Mahbabul Haque and CPI(M) MLA Nanigopal Roy could not take part in the polling because of illness.

Suspended Trinamool Congress member Sadhan Pande cast his vote even though his 29 party colleagues did not take part in the process.

Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee later told reporters that the Trinamool Congress Legislature party decided to abstain as a mark of silent protest against President APJ Abdul Kalam not being considered by the NDA for a second term.

"Our slogan is no Kalam, no vote," he said.

Of the 260 MLAs, who cast their votes, 233 were from the ruling Left Front, 20 from the Congress and three from Gorkha National Liberation Front(GNLF) besides two independent and one Jharkhand Party(N) members.

CPI(M) Lok Sabha member Laxman Seth and Forward Bloc Rajya Sabha member Barun Mukherjee also opted for casting their votes in the state Assembly.

Mr Gyan Singh Sohanpal(Congress), the seniormost member of the House, cast the first vote while Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim was the last voter.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and all his ministerial colleagues also exercised their franchise.

The Presiding Officer said the ballots would be kept in the strongroom before being sent to Delhi tomorrow.

UNI