Kolkata: Amid reports of cross-voting in many states where Opposition favoured BJP’s Ram Nath Kovind, Trinamool Congress on Thursday clarified that all 211 party MLAs voted for opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar.
Speaking to the reporters at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee said, “I don’t know about other political parties but none of our MLAs voted for NDA’s nominee. Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked all of us to vote for Meira Kumar ji and we followed her instruction.”
His comment came hours after Banerjee congratulated Kovind for winning the presidential election.
Kovind, the presidential candidate of BJP-led NDA, won the presidential election with 65.65% votes, defeating Congress-led opposition nominee Meira Kumar who got 33% votes.
When asked there are rumours that cross-voting happened in Bengal, Chatterjee said, “I don’t want to comment on such baseless rumours but as far as TMC is concerned we all voted for Meira Kumar ji.”
There are reports coming from state Congress and Left that some of them might have voted for Kovind.
“There are high chances that some Congress leaders voted for Kovind. The state leadership is not having a healthy relationship with Congress high command in Delhi after Sonia Gandhi had series of meeting with Mamata Banerjee over presidential elections. The meeting was opposed by state Congress President Adhir Chowdhury and he even wrote a letter to her,” a source told News18.
Chowdhury, also a Lok Sabha MP, had written to party president Sonia Gandhi on May 13, expressing discontent over her meeting West Bengal Mamata Banerjee to discuss the Presidential Elections.
Chowdhury wrote, “I understand that the Chief Minister (Mamata) shall be meeting you soon for discussion on a strategy regard to election to the office of the President of India. It is important to rope in support of all political parties to oppose a RSS-BJP nominee at the national level. At the same time, it is necessary to emphasize our abiding commitment to democracy and transparency.”
He alleged that everyday their party workers are under attack from Banerjee’s supporters in Bengal and Sonia Gandhi is entertaining TMC supremo in Delhi.
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