THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as Kerala became the only state in the country to see the ruling and opposition legislators casting their votes in favour of Opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha, the assembly also witnessed a vote being cast in favour of NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu.
The development came about as Neel Ratan Singh — a legislator from Sevapuri in Uttar Pradesh — happened to be in Kerala for ayurveda treatment and hence cast his vote from the state assembly. Singh belongs to Apna Dal, an NDA ally.
Tirunelveli Lok Sabha member S Gnanathiraviam, of the DMK, also cast his vote from the Kerala assembly as he was unable to travel to New Delhi because of Covid. However, these two leaders’ votes will not be added to Kerala’s quota but will come under their respective states, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The voting for the Presidential election was held at room number 740, on the third floor of the assembly from 10am to 5pm. CPM legislator T P Ramakrishnan was the first to vote while Speaker M B Rajesh was the last, said Kavitha Unnithan, the Kerala legislative assembly secretary-in-charge and also the returning officer for the Presidential elections.
Gnanathiraviam cast his vote wearing a PPE kit. “The Tirunelveli MP is Covid positive and hence came to Thiruvananthapuram to cast his vote. The voting in the Kerala legislative assembly took place smoothly,” Kavitha said. The ballot boxes will be sent to New Delhi with assistant returning officers accompanying them.