Date:22/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/22/stories/2007072259970600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Four invalid votes stump parties

President-elect Pratibha Patil receives 223 votes

Legislators faced difficulty in March elections
Governor and YSR congratulate
Pratibha Patil

– Photo: PTI

CELEBRATION: Congress activists make merry following the victory of UPA’s Presidential candidate, Pratibha Patil, in Hyderabad on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: Four invalid votes cast by MLAs from the State in the election for the President’s post has stumped political parties.

While the President-elect Pratibha Patil received 223 votes, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat secured the two votes he expected from the BJP out of a total of 229 votes polled.

Unknown identities

Though it will not be known who cast the four invalid votes, there was discussion in political parties about their identity. Leaders pointed their fingers at the Congress, its allies or rebels of TDP or TRS.

Given the composition of the Assembly, the Congress and its allies, including the Left, should account for 215 while 10 votes were cast by TRS rebels and two each by the BJP and the TDP (rebels).

Difficulties faced

In the elections to the Legislative Council held in March, legislators faced difficulties in casting the crucial preferential votes in view of the multiplicity of seats/candidates in spite of several rounds of ‘dry runs’. Legislators apparently erred in voting even in the relatively less technical poll for the President although detailed instructions on how to cast the votes were circulated in advance.

They were required to put the numeral ‘1’ against candidate of their choice.

Meanwhile, Governor Rameshwar Thakur, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister K. Rosaiah and others congratulated Ms. Patil on her election. n a message, the Governor said it was a great honour for the nation to elect the first woman President. The Chief Minister in his message said Ms. Patil’s landslide victory to become the President of the largest democracy in the golden jubilee year of Independence was befitting salute to Indian women. Mr. Rosaiah said Ms. Patil’s victory was a “lesson” for the NDA and its allies that stooped to new low in making allegations against her.

People-friendly

The Telugu Desam Party, which abstained from voting, congratulated Ms. Patil. TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed the hope that she would continue the trend of being people-friendly set by President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.