NEW DELHI: BJP MP and actor Sunny Deol was among eight MPs who missed casting their votes in the presidential poll on Monday due to various reasons.
Out of the eight MPs, two were from BJP, and one each from Congress, Samajwadi Party, BSP, Shiv Sena, AIMIM and DMK, sources said.
While Deol is abroad for medical treatment, Sanjay Dhotre, also a BJP MP, is in the intensive care unit at a hospital, the sources said.
Shiv Sena's Gajanan Kirtikar also didn't cast his vote as he was in hospital.
BSP leader Atul Singh, who is in jail, could not vote.
AIMIM leader Imtiyaz Jaleel, Congress MP Mohammad Sadiq, SP's Shafiqur Rahman Barq and DMK's TR Paarivendhar were among the eight who did not turn up for voting, the sources said.
To ensure their participation in the presidential election, Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was infected with Covid-19, came in a PPE suit while her cabinet colleague RK Singh also used a PPE kit during voting.
Similarly, former PM and veteran Congress leader Manmohan Singh and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav came in wheelchairs to cast their votes.
BJP leader Pradipta Kumar Naik, who is the leader of opposition in the Odisha Assembly, also arrived in a wheelchair with an oxygen cylinder straight from the hospital.
He was admitted to a private hospital for post-Covid complications.
Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali boycotted the presidential poll held on Monday, saying issues related to Punjab remain unresolved and he was not consulted by his party leadership before they decided to back NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu.
The Dakha MLA said he spoke to voters and workers in his constituency, and took the decision considering "sentiments" of 'Panth' (Sikh community).
NDA's candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against joint opposition pick Yashwant Sinha in the presidential poll.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has three legislators in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.
Ayali also sought the implementation of a report of the Iqbal Singh Jhundan led panel which was learnt to have recommended changes in the party leadership.
The Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD had set up the 13-member committee to analyse the reasons for its humiliating defeat in the 2022 state assembly polls.
The SAD had announced support to Murmu in the presidential poll.
The MLA said he had no opposition to the candidature of Murmu.
"But when the party decided to vote for the BJP candidate, I was not consulted. Even the Sikh community was also not consulted about it."
His party colleague and MLA Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi said he was "surprised" by Ayali's announcement of boycotting the poll.
Sukhi said the decision to support NDA candidate Murmu was taken with the consent of MLAs and MPs.
It was a unanimous decision and Ayali should not have gone back on the decision, said Sukhi.
Ayali said boycotting the poll was his personal decision.
He alleged Punjab has always been discriminated against when the Congress had ruled Delhi.
He said during the bifurcation of the state, Chandigarh and some Punjabi-speaking areas were not given to the state.
He also raised the issue of non-resolution of the contentious river water issue.
He stated there was no hope from the Congress to address Punjab-related issues as he attacked the party over the army action at the Golden Temple complex in 1984 and the anti-Sikh riots the same year.
He said he had hopes from his party after it came out of the alliance with the BJP.
"But our (Punjab's) issues remain unresolved."
"Be it the weakness of our leadership, or some personal interests, I do not know what are the reasons but our issues remained unresolved," added Ayali.
He said he decided to boycott the polls after speaking to voters and workers of his constituency as well as intellectuals, and considering the "sentiments" of 'Panth' (community).
He said his conscience was not allowing him to vote in the presidential poll.
Referring to the Jhundan committee, Ayali said it had recorded the sentiments of people, workers and the Sikh community in a report after visiting 100 assembly constituencies.
He said the party could be strengthened in the "had that report been implemented. I think if the leadership change is brought the party can be strengthened in the coming time."
If the SAD fights for the rights of Punjab and the Sikh community rather than going after gaining power, people will again repose faith in it, he said.
He also alleged the party did not bring anything into the notice of any commitment given by the Centre for resolving the Punjab issues before announcing its support to the BJP candidate.
Ayali said the SAD is the representative of 'Panth' and has always fought many battles for Punjab's rights.
"But today what the situation of the party is that we are left with just three seats.
Somewhere, the party committed some mistakes and also made wrong decisions in the past," said Ayali.
He said if the party wants to stand on its feet again, it should work as per sentiments of people and the Sikh community.
He also criticised the Centre for announcing land for Haryana in Chandigarh to set up an additional building of the Vidhan Sabha.
Ayali also raised the issues related to Panjab University, the Bhakra Beas Management Board, release of Sikh prisoners who are in different jails despite completing their terms and banning of Sidhu Moosewala's 'SYL' song and 'Rihai' song sung by Kanwar Grewal.
"If the BJP wants to seek the support of people of Punjab and the Sikh community in future, then Punjab issues should be resolved on priority," said Ayali.
The Election Commission Monday said over 99 per cent of the total 4,796 electors cast their votes in presidential poll, while 10 states and the Union Territory of Puducherry recorded a turnout of 100 per cent.
The election was concluded successfully in a free, fair and transparent manner at the Parliament House and at 30 centres within State Legislative Assemblies across the country including in Delhi and Puducherry, the poll panel said in a statement.
"As per reports being received, out of a total of 771 Members of Parliament entitled to vote (05 vacant) and similarly out of total 4025 Members of the Legislative Assemblies entitled to vote (06 vacant and 02 disqualified), over 99 per cent cast their votes today," the statement said.
A 100 per cent voting by MLAs was reported from Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the statement reads.
Forty-four MPs were permitted to vote at state headquarters, nine MLAs at Parliament House and two MLAs in other states' headquarters.
The BJP-led NDA had nominated Droupadi Murmu as its candidate, while the joint opposition has fielded Yashwant Sinha for the 16th Presidential election.
Polling was held between 10 am to 5 pm at the 31 locations.