240 of 243 Bihar MLAs, JD(U) MP cast vote in Prez poll

A total 240 of the 243 MLAs of Bihar assembly cast their votes in the Presidential polls today with the majority of them supporting UPA-backed Pranab Mukherjee.

JD(U) Rajya Sabha member N K Singh cast his vote for Mukherjee in the polls, which was held at the assembly study centre and concluded at 5 pm.

In all 117 of 118 MLAs of the ruling JD(U), NDA ally supporting Mukherjee, apart from 22 legislators of RJD, four of Congress, one of LJP and four independents cast their votes in favour of him.

Opposition-backed presidential candidate P A Sangma got the votes of 90 of the 91 BJP MLAs, besides that of independent MLA Dilip Verma.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, besides JD(U) ministers Narendra Singh and Bhim Singh and BJP's Giriraj Singh did not vote and they are members of the state legislative council and therefore ineligible.

Damodar Singh MLA of Maharajganj was the JD(U) who did cast his vote as he is indisposed.
BJP's Ashwini Kumar Choubey, the state's health minister, who is away in London, was also not be able to cast his ballot.

Kumar claimed that independent mla Jyoti Rashmi was among those who voted for Mukherjee. The three other independents were Vinay Bihari, Pawan Jaiswal and Some Prakash.

One MLA has 173 votes.

RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said all 22 party MLAs cast their votes in favour of Mukherjee.
State CPI secretary Rajendra Prasad said the lone party MLA Awadhesh Rai also did not participate in the voting as per the party line.