THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All but two Kerala MLAs will cast their votes for the Presidential elections in room number 604 at the Kerala Legislative Assembly here on Monday. Though there are 140, Vengara seat has fallen vacant after P. K. Kunhalikutty has been elected as Malappuram Lok Sabha candidate and Kuttiyadi MLA (Muslim League) Parakkal Abdulla will be casting his vote at Chennai after he sought permission from the Election Commission of India. Presidential elections will be held from 10 am to 5 pm.
For the first time, the ECI has come out with a special pen with violet ink so that the legislators do not try to manipulate the ballot paper. None of the 20 Lok Sabha MPs and nine Rajya Sabha MPs from Kerala is voting here as they are in New Delhi. V. K. Babu Prakash, the legislature secretary, told DC that voters could cast their votes according to their conscience and not bound by any party whips. “The voting is by secret ballot where the preferential vote is mandatory. The provisions of the anti-defection law are not applicable to the Presidential election. This is the first time the Election Commission of India has come up with a special pen where we will be using one out of the ten pens provided”, said Mr Prakash.
Counting of votes will be held in New Delhi on Thursday. Mr Prakash along with a section officer will be flying to New Delhi on Air India flight on Monday at 7:15 pm where they have reserved three seats, inclding for the lone ballot box. Only when the votes are counted on Thursday will it be known whether there has been any cross voting. There have been reports that central BJP leadership had entrusted its State counterpart to poach minimum five votes from the LDF apart from the secured lone vote of BJP MLA O. Rajagopal towards Ram Nath Kovind. Meanwhile, Kerala Congress (Mani) chairman K. M. Mani told reporters in Kottayam that his five MLAs and the one Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs will cast their vote for Meira Kumar.
