NDA's Kovind headed for predictable victory in President race

NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind is leading with a handsome margin in the presidential contest after receiving 1389 votes against opposition candidate Meira Kumar, who got 576 votes, according to partial results today.

In the Electoral College system, Kovind's votes are worth 479585 while Kumar's have a value of 204594 at the end of counting of ballots in Parliament House and 11 states. This was announced by Returing Officer Anoop Mishra.

The states where the counting has finished include Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, he said.

Kovind is expected to win the race for the top constitutional post given that the BJP and its allies have a majority in electoral college comprising Members of Parliament and members of legislative assemblies of all states.

A formal announcement of the winner is expected by 5 pm.

The voting took place on Monday.

Counting began at 11 am with the ballot box of Parliament House being opened first, followed by ballot boxes received from states in alphabetical order.

The votes are being counted on four separate tables and there will be eight rounds of counting.

An Election Commission official, who has witnessed previous two presidential polls, said usually results are declared around 5 PM.

Close to 99 per cent voting was recorded for electing India's next president.

Thirty two polling stations, including the one in Parliament House, were set up in various states.

A total of 4,896 voters -- 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs -- were eligible to cast their ballot. MLCs of states with legislative council are not part of the electoral college.

While the value of an MLA's vote depends on the population of his or her state, the value of an MP's vote remains the same at 708.

The numbers are stacked in favour of the ruling coalition's nominee Kovind, a former Bihar governor, over the opposition's candidate and former Lok Sabha Speaker Kumar.