The ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh on Friday claimed as many as 19 MLAs from the opposition camp voted in favour of President-elect Droupadi Murmu in the poll for the top constitutional post.
Murmu scripted history on Thursday by becoming India's first tribal President in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. Murmu, 64, won by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent valid votes in counting of ballots of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college. The polling had taken place on July 18.
"Today, I can say with pride that in Madhya Pradesh, 19 MLAs (from non-BJP background) voted as per the voice of their conscience in favour of sister Droupadi Murmu. It has exposed the anti-tribal face of former chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh (of the Congress)," state BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma told reporters.
"I thank all these 19 MLAs who cross-voted in this historic decision to show their participation in electing Droupadi Murmuji," Sharma said.
In the 230-member Assembly, the BJP has 127 MLAs and the Congress 96. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has two members, the Samajwadi Party (SP) one MLA, while there are four independent legislators in the House.
The BSP and the SP had formally extended their support to Murmu, who was the candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Political parties can not issue a whip to their MLAs or MPs in the presidential poll which takes place through secret ballot.
