Counting of votes for presidential poll underway

The counting of votes for the presidential election was underway here today with the numbers stacked in favour of the ruling NDA's nominee Ram Nath Kovind over opposition's candidate Meira Kumar.

The name of the next occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhawan would be known by 5.00 pm. The voting took place on Monday.First, the ballot box of Parliament House would be opened, and then, the ballot boxes received from states would be counted on alphabetical basis.

The votes would be counted on four separate tables and there would be eight rounds of counting.

An Election Commission official, who has witnessed previous two presidential polls, said usually results are declared around 5 PM.Close to 99 per



cent voting was recorded for electing India's next president.

Thirty two polling stations, including the one in Parliament house, have been set up in various states.

A total of 4,896 voters -- 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs -- were eligible to cast their ballot. MLCs of states with legislative council are not part of the electoral college.

While the value of an MLA's vote depends on the population of the state he or she belongs to, the value of an MP's vote remains the same at 708.The numbers are stacked in favour of the ruling coalition's nominee Kovind, a former Bihar governor, over the opposition's candidate and former Lok Sabha Speaker Kumar.