Presidential poll: CM Yogi Adityanath votes, prays for strength to democracy; rose above politics to support Draupadi Murmu, says Mayawati

Presidential poll: BSP chief Mayawati in a Hindi tweet said, "Rising above the party politics and as per the thought process of the party and movement, the BSP was the first to announce its support to a woman hailing from tribal society" adding "Appeal to other people of the weaker sections to vote on the basis of their conscience today."

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday prayed for strength to Indian democracy as he voted for the presidential elections at the Vidhan Bhavan's Tilak Hall here. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati claimed that his party rose above politics to support NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu and urged legislators belonging to weaker sections to vote on the basis of their conscience. UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (BSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar arrived together to cast their votes. Rajbhar is an ally of the state's main opposition Samajwadi Party, which is supporting former Union minister Yashwant Sinha in the election.

The voting had started at 10 am and will continue till 5 pm, a senior official said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was among the early voters. Adityanath in a Hindi tweet said, "Voted in Lucknow today to ensure participation in the 2022 presidential election. May the democracy of India be more empowered."

#WATCH Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath casts vote to elect new President, in Lucknow#PresidentialElection pic.twitter.com/VDJ4WZIPp7 — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 18, 2022

UP Cabinet ministers Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and Surya Pratap Shahi too queued up to cast their votes. Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh was also among the early voters.

Meanwhile, BSP chief Mayawati in a Hindi tweet said, "Rising above the party politics and as per the thought process of the party and movement, the BSP was the first to announce its support to a woman hailing from tribal society." "Appeal to other people of the weaker sections to vote on the basis of their conscience today," she added.

Brij Bhushan Dubey, the returning officer for the election in Uttar Pradesh, said all legislators were informed and told what precautions they have to take. The MLAs will have to use a special pen given by the Election Commission of India to vote, he said.

Three polling booths have been set up. Two ballot boxes, which have come from Delhi, will be sent back to the national capital after voting is completed on July 18, Dubey said. The counting will take place in Delhi on July 21, he said. With the highest vote value of 208 for each of its 403 MLAs, Uttar Pradesh will be an important state to watch out for in the presidential election.

Five MLAs from the state will cast their vote outside the state due to personal reasons, Dubey had earlier said. NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against joint Opposition pick Yashwant Sinha in the much-awaited poll to elect the next President of India.

The electoral college which elects the president through the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote comprises MPs and members of the state legislative assemblies. Nominated MPs, MLAs and members of legislative councils are not entitled to vote in this election.

The MPs and MLAs will get ballot papers of different colours when they vote to elect the next President of India. While MPs will get green papers, the MLAs will get ballot papers printed in pink. Major political parties have already announced their support for the candidates. In the opposition camp, Samajwadi Party ally Om Prakash Rajbhar's Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party has broken ranks while declaring support to Murmu.

Polling in Uttarakhand: Pushkar Singh Dhami among first to cast vote

Voting for the Presidential election in which NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against joint opposition pick Yashwant Sinha began at the state Assembly in Dehradun on Monday at 10 am.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri, cabinet ministers Subodh Uniyal, Premchand Aggrawal and Rekha Arya were among the first to cast their votes.

Dehradun | Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami votes in the 16th Presidential election pic.twitter.com/B5yWLVjnjJ — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 18, 2022

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Yashpal Arya and Congress MLA from Haridwar (rural) Anupama Rawat also voted in the morning. The ruling BJP has 47 members in the Uttarakhand Assembly, while the Congress has 19, and the Bahujan Samaj Party and Independents are two each. Uttarakhand has five Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha seats -- all represented by the BJP in Parliament.