President not to vote to maintain "neutrality"

New Delhi, May 9: President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday decided not to vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in order to express his "neutrality in the political fray".

He had completed all the formalities for voting through postal ballot, thus making him the first Head of the State to do so but he decided not to exercise his franchise now keeping in tradition with his predecessors.

"The President in order to express his neutrality in the political fray has decided not to cast his ballot," President's Press Secretary Venu Rajamony said in New Delhi on Friday.

Mukherjee, who is the country's 14th President, had ordered a postal ballot to cast his vote for South Kolkata Lok Sabha seat which goes to polls on May 12.

He is a registered voter in 160 Rashbehari, part of South Kolkata parliamentary seat.

The President had ordered a postal ballot to cast his vote on May 12 in Kolkata

"The decision was taken for maintaining the tradition as most of his predecessors had done the same," Rajamony said.

South Kolkata will see a multi-cornered contest with Congress fielding Mala Roy and BJP nominating state President Tathagata Roy.

Trinamool Congress has fielded sitting MP Subrata Bakshi whereas CPI-M's candidate is professor Nandini Mukherjee.

PTI