NDA MPs were corralled from far and away so that they could make it in time for the vice-presidential polls. Maharashtra MP Pritam Munde cut short his trip to New York and flew in to New Delhi on Saturday morning.
Devendra Goud of the Telugu Desam Party, said to be ailing, also flew in, with medical assistance on the flight to make it in time for voting. According to sources, two BJP MPs, Union Minister for Sports Vijay Goel and Rajasthan MP Sanwarlal Jat, couldn’t make it for the polls as they are hospitalised.
Though there are supposed to be 790 MPs who make up the electoral college for elections for the post of the Vice President, the actual effective number is 785. That’s because there are two vacancies in the Lok Sabha, due to the death of Vinod Khanna (who represented Gurdaspur) and the cancellation of the Anantnag Lok Sabha elections because of a low turnout. Also, Chhedi Paswan of the BJP has been constrained from voting by an interim order of the Supreme Court, in a case of irregularity in the declaration of assets to the Election Commission. There are two vacancies in the Rajya Sabha as well, with the death of Congress MP Govardhan Reddy and the resignation of BSP chief Mayawati.
Ramchandra Hansdah, a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP from Mayurbhanj who was arrested in connection with the Nabadiganta chit fund scam, was allowed to vote after a CBI court in Bhubaneswar allowed him a two-day reprieve from the Jharpada jail. He had earlier petitioned to vote in the Presidential polls, but wasn’t allowed to do so.
The absentees
A total of 14 MPs eligible to vote failed to exercise their franchise. Nevertheless, with over 98% polling, a total of 771 MPs out of the 785 eligible to vote, it was an impressive showing.
It was the highest ever poll percentage for a vice-presidential poll, beating the previous record of 759 MPs voting when Bhairon Singh Shekhawat stood for the post.
Among those who didn't show (besides Mr Goel and Mr Jat), four MPs from the Trinamool Congress had the largest block of absentees, including MPs Kunal Ghosh, Pratima Mandal, Abhishek Banerjee and Tapas Pal.
Two Congress MPs, Mausam Noor and Rani Nara also did not vote. Anbumani Ramadoss of the PMK, Udayan Raje Bhonsale of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Naba Kumar Sarania (independent MP from Kokrajhar in Assam), Anu Agha (nominated member) were also absent. Indian Union Muslim League’s P.K Kunhalikutty and Abdul Wahab also did a no show.
