All the 175 MLAs in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly exercised their franchise in the presidential election on Monday. However, two of the votes are likely to become invalid since two Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators reportedly wrote their names on the ballot paper.
The MLAs erred despite a mock exercise conducted at the TDLP office.
The MLAs were asked to write their names on dummy ballot papers in the mock exercise. It was to verify who were following the rules correctly. The two MLAs reportedly repeated the same while exercising their vote.
This came to light after the polling when the Chief Minister held a meeting with his MLAs, according to TDP sources.
This is the first time polling for presidential election was held in Amaravati Capital city. It went on smoothly at the committee hall in the Legislature building at Velagapudi. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was the first to cast his vote followed by Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao.
Opposition support
The four BJP MLAs also cast their votes along with their ally. YSR Congress president Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy led his party MLAs for the voting. Narsaraopet MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao also cast his vote in the Assembly by obtaining special permission from the Election Commission citing personal reasons. Probably, A.P. is the only State where all the votes were cast to NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind with the ruling TDP and Opposition YSRCP supporting him. None of the MLAs, sources say, has marked their second preference.
The TDP has 124 Assembly members, including 21 who defected from the YSRCP. The BJP has four legislators and the lone Opposition YSRCP has 46 legislators.
Roja slams Speaker
YSR Congress MLA R. K. Roja fired a salvo after casting her vote. She alleged that the Speaker took part in the TDLP meeting which was not proper as as he was elected unanimously by all political parties. He should be apolitical. Dr. Sivaprasada Rao demeaned the Speaker’s office by participating in the TDLP meeting, she alleged.
