Independent legislators in Jharkhand vote for Kovind

Ranchi, July 17 (IANS) Three Independent legislators cast their votes here on Monday in favour of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the Presidential election.T

Ranchi, July 17 (IANS) Three Independent legislators cast their votes here on Monday in favour of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the Presidential election.

The three Independent legislators who voted in favour of the NDA candidate are Geeta Koda, Bhanu Pratap Shahi and Enos Ekka.

“We voted in favour of the NDA candidate. The President should be elected by consensus,” Geeta Koda told the media here.

Of the 81 state legislators, 80 have cast their votes in the premises of the Jharkhand assembly where the polling is underway.

Three jailed legislators voted after taking permission from the court. They were BJP’s Sanjiv Singh, facing a murder case; Pradeep Yadav of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik; and Independent legislator Enos Ekka, also facing a murder case.

Pradeep Yadav is in jail in connection with a case related to instigating villagers against Adani Power in Godda district.

NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind for the Presidential poll is likely to get the vote of 50 legislators.

“NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind’s victory is 200 per cent guaranteed. His election indicates a common man can become the President of India,” Chief Minister Raghubar Das said after casting his vote.

Former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Executive President Hemant Soren, who is Leader of Opposition in the assembly, said it is a “fight of ideology”.

This is published unedited from the IANS feed.