Pratibha all set to become first woman President

New Delhi, July 21: UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil received an overwhelming majority of votes from legislators of Andhra Pradesh, Asom and Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi, as counting of votes cast in the 13th Presidential election progressed at the Parliament House today.

In the 294-strong Andhra Pradesh assembly, 229 members had cast their votes. Of these, Ms Patil bagged 223 votes, her rival NDA-backed Independent candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat two, while the remaining four were declared invalid. While the opposition Telegu Desam Party, a part of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), had decided to abstain, some party MLAs had cast their votes. The value of each MLA's vote is 148.

In Asom, Ms Patil got 92 votes, 20 came Mr Shekhawat's way while four were declared invalid. Here also UNPA constituent, Asom Gana Parishad, had decided to abstain but the party faced a virtual revolt after news of AIADMK legislators participating in the poll reached Guwahati. Most of the party MLAs went out to vote, defying party president Brindabon Goswami. The value of each vote is 116.

In Arunachal Pradesh, 59 of the 60 MLAs had voted. Ms Patil picked up 58 of these, indicating cross-voting among the BJP MLAs, who number eight. Mr Shekhawat just got one.The value of each vote is eight.

Ms Patil picked up 50 votes from the 70-member Delhi assembly, while Mr Shekhawat got 19. The value of each vote is 58.

In the first round, votes of the legislators from Andhra Pradesh, Asom and Arunachal Pradesh were taken up. There will be nine rounds of counting of the MLAs' votes, after which the votes of the MPs will be taken up for counting.

UNI