Polling for prez concludes peacefully in Punjab, Haryana

Chandigarh, July 19 (UNI) The poll process for electing the 13th President of the country drew to an end in the assemblies of Punjab and Haryana here this evening.

In the Punjab assembly, 116 of the 117 MLAs cast their votes.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was the first one to use his franchise while the process closed with SAD (B) MLA Vikramjit Singh Khalsa casting the last vote.

In addition, Member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha Ambika Soni also exercised her franchise in the Punjab assembly, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretary Madan Mohan said here.

Meanwhile, MLA Joginderpal Jain, detained under COFEPOSA, who had been granted parole for two days, exercised his vote in Parliament at New Delhi, Mr Madan Mohan said.

In Haryana assembly, 81 of the 90 MLAs and MP Kuldip Bishnoi exercised their franchise in about an hour after the polling began at 1000 hrs, Haryana assembly Secretary and electoral officer Sumit Kumar said.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana, a Third Front constituent, chose to abstain from the Presential Polls. The party has nine MLAs and two Rajya Sabha members, he said.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda criticised the decision of the Third Front parties to stay away from Presidential Polls and said by not casting their vote, they had ditched those who had elected them.

The contest for the highest post of the country is directly between the United Progressive Alliance candidate Pratibha Patil and independent contestant Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, supported by National Democratic Alliance.

In the Electoral College for presidential polls, Punjab has vote value of 114 per legislator while in Haryana assembly, it is 112 per member.

In Haryana, the Congress has 67 MLAs, Indian National Lok Dal has nine, Bharatiya Janata Party has two, Bahujan Samaj Party and Nationalist Congress Party have one each while 10 independent MLAS were supporting Congress.

Of the 10 MPs from Haryana, nine belong to Congress while one was from BJP. In the Rajya Sabha, INLD has two while Congress has three MPs.

In Punjab assembly, of the 117 MLAs, 49 belonged to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and 19 to its alliance partener BJP, Congress has 44 MLAs and five are independents. Four of the independents are with Akali Dal (B) while one is supporting Congress.

Of the 13 Lok Sabha MPs from Punjab, SAD has eight, BJP had three and Congress has two. In the Rajya Sabha, SAD has three while Congress has four MPs.

After the polling concluded in the evening, the ballot were sealed and kept under strict vigil they will be taken to the Parliament tomorrow amid stringent security cover. The counting of votes is scheduled for July 21.

UNI