Ministers, legislators vote in Uttarakhand for presidential poll

Many senior ministers and legislators in Uttarakhand, including Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, cast their votes in the presidential election on Monday.

Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj and Finance Minister Prakash Pant were also among those who voted.

A legislator from Bihar, Virendra Kumar Sinha, who is in the hill state for admission of his son in a local school, also cast his vote in the Uttarakhand Assembly.

State president of the Congress Preetam Singh, former Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal, also cast their votes.

According to a poll official, after polling closes at 5 p.m. the ballot boxes will be sealed and flown to New Delhi on Tuesday amid tight security.

NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind is likely to corner 72 per cent votes from the hill state as per strength of various parties in the state assembly.

The BJP has 57 members in the state assembly and two independent lawmakers Ram Singh Kaida and Preetam Singh Panwar are also backing the NDA candidate.

The Congress has 11 MLAs and three Rajya Sabha members to support UPA's Meira Kumar.

--IANS

md/rn