Presidential polls: PM Modi likely to address NDA MPs; Kovind may attend

The meeting is likely to take place on July 16, a day ahead of voting in the presidential election

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address a meeting of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs on July 16, a day ahead of voting in the presidential poll .

NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind may attend the meeting, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources said on Saturday.

Kovind has been on a tour of the states meeting MPs and MLAs who are supporting his presidential bid, and may decide to interact with the NDA MPs a day before the voting for the top constitutional post, they said.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament starts from July 17, the day of the election. Proceedings in both the Houses will be adjourned for a day due to death of sitting members.

The BJP Parliamentary Party executive will also meet on July 16 and it will be followed by a meeting of NDA leaders.

The sources said an all-party meeting may also be held on the same day.

Ram Nath Kovind , who was in Madhya Pradesh today, will travel to Chhattisgarh tomorrow and be accompanied by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP general secretary Arun Singh during his meetings with supporting MPs and MLAs.

He will be in Gujarat on July 11, when BJP chief Amit Shah will also be there. He will be accompanied by BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, the sources said.

He will be in Jharkhand on July 12 and in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan on July 13.

BJP sources said they are confident that Kovind will get over two-thirds votes in his contest against the opposition candidate Meira Kumar.

Presidential poll : EC says parties directing how to vote will face action

A candidate needs 50% plus votes to win the poll

Political parties which issue directions to their members to vote in a particular manner in presidential elections can face penal action, the Election Commission said on Thursday.

It, however, said parties are free to canvas or seek votes of the electors for any candidate or request them or appeal to them to refrain from voting.

Since there is no whip and the vote in the presidential poll is through a secret ballot, voters are free to decide on whether they want to cast their vote or not.

The set of clarifications from the Commission came after it was approached by some voters who wanted to know whether a member of a political party voting in defiance of the party's decision would attract disqualification on the ground of defection or the party would be liable to any penalty for asking their members to vote in a particular manner.

The EC said parties which issue whip or give directions can face action under section 171C of the IPC dealing with "voluntarily interferes or attempts to interfere with the free exercise of any electoral right".

The total strength of the electoral college which votes to elect the President comprises all elected MPs and members of legislative assemblies of all states and UTs of Delhi and Puducherry.

The total comes to 10,98,903 votes with each MP carrying a vote value of 708. The vote weight of an MLA depends on the population of the state he or she represents.

A candidate needs 50 per cent plus votes to win the poll. Halfway mark comes at 5,49,452.

After Meira Kumar, Kovind to campaign in Meghalaya on Friday

NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind will arrive here in this Congress-ruled state of Meghalaya on Friday to seek support for his candidature.

His visit to Meghalaya is significant in the wake of his rival candidate Meira Kumarclaiming that the United Democratic Party (UDP), a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance, has pledged to support her in the presidential elections.

But UDP chief Donkupar Roy, who is also Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, denied pledging support to the opposition-backed Congress candidate and said that "it is better to go by the winner".

Kovind, former Governor of Bihar who was nominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party as the ruling alliance's presidential nominee, would address Meghalaya legislators at the Orchid Lake Resort in Umiam in Ri-Bhoi district.

The opposition National People's Party, which has two members in the 60-member house, had announced its support to Ram Nath Kovind. The party is an ally of the BJP-led NDA government.

"We will also attend Kovind's meeting tomorrow. The legislature party of UDP will be meeting soon and decide accordingly," Roy told IANS.

The UDP has eight legislators in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.

Hill State People's Democratic Party supremo Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said that his party would be meeting soon to take a decision. The party has four legislators.

The ruling Meghalaya United Alliance has 44 members -- 30 Congress, two Nationalist Congress Party, 11 Independents and one of the North East Socialist Democratic Party. Two other Independents are in the opposition.

However, the Congress may lose the precious vote of one suspended Congress legislator P.N. Syiem during the presidential poll.

Under the presidential election 2017 system, the total value of the votes from the 60 legislators of the Meghalaya assembly and three members of Parliament (two Lok Sabha members and one Rajya Sabha member) will be 3,144.

While the vote value of 60 legislators is 1,020, that of three parliamentarians -- Conrad Sangma (NPP), Vincent Pala and Wansuk Syiem (both from Congress) -- is 2,124.

The value of the vote of an individual MLA from Meghalaya is 17 each due to the small population size, while that of an MP is 708 each, which is the same all over the country.

presidential election 2017 : Meira Kumar to campaign in Bihar

In the report, India was found to be 'largely compliant' on liquidity coverage ratio

The Congress-led opposition's Presidential nominee Meira Kumar will arrive here on Thursday evening on a three-day visit to Bihar to seek support for her candidature.

presidential election 2017 Meira Kumar will visit her native village Chandwa in Bhojpur district on Friday where she will meet Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislators.

"Meira Kumar will also meet RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who described her as 'Bihar ki beti' after she was made the opposition' candidate," Congress legislator Shakil Ahmad Khan said.

According to RJD sources, Lalu Prasad will be present during her meeting with his party legislators.

However, Bihar's ruling Grand Allliance of Janata Dal-United (JD-U), RJD and THE Congress is divided over their support for the former Lok Sabha Speaker.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President Nitish Kumar has announced his party support to BJP-led NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

It is notable that while Meira Kumar will be meeting Congress and RJD legislators, another key constituent of the mahagathbandhan government in the state, JDU will be missing from action.

This is because JDU and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have already extended their support to National Democratic Alliance's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind. Kovind, before being declared as the presidential nominee of the NDA, was the Governor of Bihar.

Interestingly, Nitish Kumar's support to Ramnath Kovind has not only annoyed the opposition parties but also created friction between Nitish and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad who termed the Bihar CM's decision as a "historic blunder".

The day when Meira Kumar was declared as the presidential nominee of the 17-opposition parties, Nitish predicted that the so-called "Bihar ki beti" was fielded against Kovind to make her lose elections.

NITISH SLAMS OPPOSITION

Nitish had then questioned the Congress why, if at all it was so bothered about "Bihar ki beti" did it not field Meira Kumar as presidential nominee in 2007 and 2012 when the UPA was in power ?

He has also slammed the Opposition parties of starting their Mission 2019 campaign on a losing note by fielding the former Lok Sabha speaker against the NDA's candidate whose victory was almost certain. He had suggested anti-BJP forces to review their strategy for 2019.

Meira Kumar will also be visiting her ancestral home, Chandra village in Bhojpur district during her three days stay in the state. There is also no plans of Meira Kumar meeting Nitish Kumar during her visit to Bihar.

Ram Nath Kovind promises to keep office of President above party politics

Kovind appealed to all members of the presidential election collegium to support his candidature.

NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday promised to keep the office of the President above party politics as he campaigned in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking both in Hyderabad and Vijayawada, he said the office of the President should be kept above party politics and assured the parties supporting him that he will uphold the highest esteem of the prestigious office.

Stating that he is not associated with any political party, Kovind appealed to all members of the presidential election 2017 collegium to support his candidature.

Kovind addressed meetings of ruling parties in both the Telugu states, besides meeting MPs and MLAs of Andhra Pradesh's main opposition party YSR Congress and leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an opposition party in Telangana.

He spoke at the meeting of the leaders of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Hyderabad and a joint meeting of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its alliance partner BJP in Vijayawada.

"Ever since I became Governor of Bihar, I have been working throughout in a non-partisan manner, keeping every citizen of Bihar with equal status without any discrimination. I can assure you that I will continue to keep the position of the President above party," he told the meeting attended by TRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and some other BJP leaders in Hyderabad.

"As on today I am not associated with any political party. Of course my earlier background had been with the BJP. I had the privilege of working in the team of Venkaiah Naidu. Even after resigning the governorship, I did not join any party," Kovind said.

At Vijayawada, Kovind said that for President, the Constitution is the "Geeta", "Quran", "Ramayana" and the "Bible". "It is the only guide book by which the President is supposed to work," he said.

He said for President the well being of every citizen of the country, irrespective of caste, region, religion and geographic location was important.

Stating that the President is also the supreme commander of the armed forces, he said security of "our international borders should be our topmost priority". Read more