Cross voting in Presidential polls: Multiple Opposition MLAs create stir by voting for Droupadi Murmu

As over 4,800 MPs and MLAs from across the country cast their vote, some incidents of cross voting emerged. Some MLAs of opposition parties cast their vote in favour of BJP-led NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu instead of joint Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. 

Those who have cross-voted include Haryana Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, who also cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections held last month. Indicating that he had voted for Murmu, Bishnoi said, “Like in Rajya Sabha, I have cast my vote in this election too as per my conscience.” The 4-time MLA and 2-time MP has been at loggerheads with his party after being ignored for the post of Haryana Congress chief earlier in the year. 

Another Congress MLA, Mohammed Moquim of Odisha also cast his vote in favour of rival candidate Droupadi Murmu, citing reason that she happened to be “daughter of Odisha”, and he went by his “conscience call”. “I am an Odia; I voted in favour of Droupadi Murmu as she is a daughter of Odisha. I went by my conscience. MLAs cannot be prevented from listening to their conscience,” Moquim said after cross voting.

Kamlesh Singh, the Jharkhand MLA from Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also cross voted, casting in favour of Murmu stating that he too had gone by his “conscience call”. As per reports, another NCP MLA, the lone one in Gujarat, Kandhal Jadeja also voted in favour of Murmu over Yashwant Sinha.

In UP, senior Samajwadi Party MLA Shivpal Yadav voted for Murmu defying the party line. Reports also suggested that another SP MLA, Shazil Islam Ansari also cross voted. However, he refuted the reports. 
"Why should I cross-vote? I have voted as per the party line," Ansari was quoted.

Meanwhile, AIUDF MLA Karimuddin Barbhuiya claimed that 20 Congress legislators had cross-voted in favour of Murmu saying he had evidence to prove. In reaction, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Debabrata Saikia called Barbhuiya's claims “absurd” as votes were cast via secret ballot.

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(With inputs from agencies)