Presidential Election: Fearing Cross-Voting Bengal BJP Secured Flock In Hotel

Joymala Bagchi

| Updated: 18 July, 2022 9:05 pm IST

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: Leaving nothing to a chance, the Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party shifted its 69 MLAs to a private hotel ahead of the Presidential elections on Monday.

While sources in the state BJP said that it’s been done mainly to make the MLAs understand the voting procedure, there has been buzz that there was a possibility of cross-voting during the election.

“We believe that there will be cross voting from BJP as people often listen to their conscience,” an All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) source told The New Indian.

Meanwhile, in an apparent show of unity, the elected representatives of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) cast their vote in the Presidential elections at the state legislative assembly in Kolkata on Monday.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, AITC general secretary and Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee led the party’s voting as AITC MPs and MLAs, except Shatrughan Sinha, cast their vote at the state assembly today. MPs and MLAs of the ruling party AITC have a total of 254 voters.

Talking to The New Indian, a party source said, “After discussion with party supremo Mamata Banerjee, the party decided that MPs will cast their vote in the Presidential election in the legislative assembly instead of the Parliament.”

Nearly 4,800 elected MPs and MLAs will cast their vote. The counting of votes will take place at Parliament House on July 21 and the next President will take oath on July 25.