Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu on Thursday maintained a comfortable lead against rival Yashwant Sinha after the second round in which ballot paper of the first 10 states were counted alphabetically.
Murmu, with 1349 votes is way ahead of Sinha, who has 537 votes, after two rounds of counting in the Parliament House complex.
“In this round the total number of valid votes is 1138. Their total value is 1,49,575. Out of this, Droupadi Murmu has got 809 votes valued at 1,05,299. Yashwant Sinha has got 329 votes valued at 44,276,” said Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody.
“The total valid votes so far are 1886. Their total vote value is 6,73175. Out of this, Droupadi Murmu gets 1349 votes valued at 4,83,299 and Sinha gets 537 votes valued at 1,89,876,” the returning officer added giving the grand total.
In the first round, Droupadi Murmu secured 540 votes with a vote value of 3,78,000 and Yashwant Sinha secured 208 votes with a vote value of 1,45,600.
The final results will be declared by late evening. After the announcement of the results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet Murmu along with some senior colleagues of the Cabinet and BJP President JP Nadda.
The counting of votes for Presidential polls has been taking place in Room Number 63 in Parliament House complex.
The area around the counting centre has been declared a sanitized zone with only the officers involved in the counting process, presidential candidates and their authorised representative and Election Commission observers allowed access. Media persons with valid EC issued passes are also allowed in the complex.
The authorities made all the arrangements for discipline, proper decorum so as to ensure conduct of peaceful counting.
The Presidential election took place on July 18 with elected members of Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies comprising the electoral college voting to elect the next President.
Out of a total 4,025 eligible MLAs for voting in the Presidential election, a total of 3,991 MLAs voted. A total of 771 MPs voted in the polls out of total 763 eligible MPs.
The ruling BJP expects Murmu to get two thirds votes in the polls for the highest office of the country.
The new President of India is scheduled to take oath on July 25.
Once elected, Murmu will be the first ever tribal woman to occupy the highest post.
Besides, she would be the first President of India born in independent India and the youngest ever at the age of 64 years.
She was born on June 20, 1958. All previous Presidents of India were born before Independence.
