Many opposition lawmakers admit to cross-voting for Droupadi Murmu
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After the presidential poll, several lawmakers belonging to the opposition parties said they voted for NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu against their party's decision.
NCP legislators in Jharkhand and Gujarat and Congress MLAs in Haryana and Odisha said they followed the "voice of their conscience". In Assam, IUDF MLA Karimuddin Barbhuiyan claimed that around 20 Congress MLAs voted for Murmu.
BJP MLA Biranchi Narayan claimed Murmu will get the support of at least 65 legislators in Jharkhand under any circumstance as many Congress legislators are also going to listen to their conscience and vote for her.
In Uttar Pradesh, Shivpal Singh Yadav said he will not support Yashwant Sinha as he once accused Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav of being an ISI agent.
Haryana Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi said he has voted according to his conscience in the presidential election. He had cross-voted in last month's Rajya Sabha polls as well. He indicated that he voted for Murmu.
Congress MLA in Odisha Mohammed Moquim said Murmu is a "daughter of Odisha" and he voted for her because of this. "I am an Odia. I voted in favour of Droupadi Murmu as she is a daughter of Odisha. I went by my conscience. MLAs cannot be prevented from listening to their conscience," he said right after polling.
He added that the people of Odisha will support his move and Murmu's victory will make him proud. Moquim claimed that several people from abroad urged him to support the "daughter of the soil".
In Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal legislator Manpreet Singh Ayali boycotted the presidential poll saying issues related to the state remain unresolved. He added that he was not consulted by his party leadership before backing the NDA candidate. SAD has three legislators in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.
Regional parties like the BJD, YSRCP, BSP, TDP, JDS, and SAD had already declared support for the NDA candidate.
In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party ally Om Prakash Rajbhar said Droupadi Murmu ji is going to win the presidential election and the road to Delhi passes through Lucknow. "She is going to win with a huge majority."