Team Herald
PORVORIM: All 38 Goa MLAs and Rajya Sabha MP from UP, Manohar Parrikar, cast their votes to elect the new President of India on Monday.
The NDA-led Union government has fielded former Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind as their candidate, while the Congress-led opposition has fielded former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.
The BJP and its coalition partners – MGP, Goa Forward Party and Independents – extended support to Kovind. Their strength in the House is 21.
“We are part of the BJP government in Goa and there is no question of not supporting Kovind. I along with my two other MLAs have voted for Kovind,” MGP leader Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar said.
“We Goa Forward Party MLAs have supported the NDA candidate. He is a grassroots leader with clean political background,” GFP leader Jayesh Salgonkar said.
The election began at 10.00am at the State secretariat and 100 percent voting was reported in the first half of the day. In all 38 MLAs were eligible to vote in Goa.
“All 16 Congress MLAs voted for Meira Kumar,” Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said.
The sole Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Churchill Alemao, who was part of the ruling coalition meeting with Kovind on Saturday, refused to say who he has supported. “It is a secret vote. I have cast vote as per my High Command direction,” he stated.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is yet to be elected to the Goa House, also voted as he is a Rajya Sabha MP from UP. “It is a secret vote. I am sure that we have the required number from Goa,” he stated.
Three other MPS from Goa – Shantaram Naik (Rajya Sabha), Shripad Naik (Lok Sabha) and Narendra Sawaikar (Lok Sabha) – cast their votes in Delhi. The results will be announced on July 20.
