79 MLAs of J'khand Assy and jailed MP Sibu Soren cast ballot

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Ranchi, July 19 (UNI) As many as 79 out of the total 81 legislators of Jharkhand Assembly and jailed former Coal Minister Sibu Soren today cast their vote for the 13th presidential election polling which ended at 1700 hrs.

Of them 37 MLAs cast ballots for the first time for Presidential polls.

The lone CPI(ML) MLA Vinod Singh abstained from voting and Upendra Das (BJP) did not vote due to illness.

Incarcerated Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo Sibu Soren, who took special permission to take part in the fray, also exercised his franchise here in the afternoon.

Soren was brought to the Assembly premises amid tight security.

Five rebel BJP MLAs -- Pradep Yadav, Manohar Tekriwal, Ravindra Rai, Vishnu Bhaiya and Kunti Singh also exercised their voting right.

However, they did not spell out their choice but maintained that they had cast votes according to their conscience.

Chief Minister Madhu Koda took the lead in ensuring that the UPA members' strength did not get diluted while Opposition leader Arjun Munda was busy keeping the NDA conglomerate intact till the polling was over.

One nominated member in the 82-member Jharkhand Assembly was not eligible to take part in the polling.

The value of votes of 81 MLAs stood at 14,256. The state has 14 Lok Sabha seats and six Rajya Sabha seats. However, an MP's seat remained vacant due to assassination of JMM leader Sunil Mahto reducing the tally to 19 and the value of vote thereby standing at 13,452.

The total strength at present amounted to 27,708 including the two MLAs who did not vote.

UNI

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