Ram Nath Kovind Set To Win As the Votes in Counting Process

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 Ram Nath Kovind, former Bihar Governor, is set to be India's next President as votes are being counted today in the election held on Monday.

 Singing and drumbeats marked celebrations at Mr Kovind's home in Paraunkh near Kanpur and sweets were passed around long before any formal announcement. 

Mr Kovind, nominated by the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is expected to get almost 70 per cent of the votes for an easy win over the opposition's candidate Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha Speaker. 

Some 4,800 members of parliament and state assemblies cast votes on Monday to choose between Mr Kovind and Meira Kumar, a former speaker backed by a 17-member bloc of opposition parties. 

 The final result is expected by 5 pm that would decide the successor of President Pranab Mukherjee, who demits office on July 25. The votes will be counted on four separate tables and there would be eight rounds of counting, an Election Commission official said.

 Counting will be held under the supervision of the Lok Sabha secretary general Anoop Mishra, who is also the Returning Officer. 

While the value of a legislator's vote depends on the population of the state he or she belongs to, the value of a Member of Parliament's vote remains the same at 708. A total of 4,895 voters -- 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs -- were eligible to vote. 

Madhya Pradesh Minister Narottam Mishra did not cast his vote as he was disqualified by the poll body over the allegations of "paid news".

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