Deck stacked in favour of Droupadi Murmu as India's next President

Cross-voting by MLAs reported in Odisha, Gujarat for NDA candidate

Voting for the presidential poll ended on Monday, with the 98.9 per cent of the electors permitted to exercise their franchise in Parliament House, said Returning Officer P C Mody.

The deck is stacked in favour of Droupadi Murmu, Santhal tribal from Odisha, former governor and minister in the Odisha state government. The result will be announced on July 21 after counting on July 20. Current President Ram Nath Kovind’s term ends on July 25.

Briefing reporters after the voting, Mody said of the 736 electors — comprising 727 Members of Parliament (MPs) and nine Members of