JOIN USThe stage is set for voting in the Presidential election at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday.
Voting will take place between 10 am and 5 pm and 223 MLAs can exercise their franchise.
With the acceptance of Kundapur MLA Haladi Srinivasa Shetty’s resignation, there is one vacancy in the 224-member Assembly. The nominated member cannot vote in the presidential election.
Nine votes from City
Of the 40 MPs from the State (28 Lok Sabha and 12 Rajya Sabha), nine have sought permission to vote in Bangalore, official sources said. Observers deputed by the Election Commission of India are already in Bangalore to monitor the poll process.
The value of each MLA vote (Karnataka) is 131 while that of an MP vote is 708. Voting will be through secret ballot. Whips cannot be issued by political parties for Presidential polls.
The JD(S) has announced it would support UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee.
There is speculation that a section in the BJP, including those associated with independent MLA B Sriramulu and some disgruntled MLAs sour over not getting Cabinet berths in the Shettar ministry, will vote for Mukherjee.