Team News Riveting
Bhubaneswar, July 18
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reiterated that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for presidential election Droupadi Murmu is the pride of the state.
Naveen Patnaik casts his vote in the 16th Presidential Election at Odisha Legislative Assembly today morning. “It’s an honour to cast my vote for the #PresidentialElection. It is indeed a matter of pride for our state that the daughter of #Odisha, Smt. #DroupadiMurmu is a candidate for the highest office of our country. Wish her all the very best,” Naveen tweeted soon after casting his vote.
Meanwhile, Odisha Congress party MLA voted for Droupadi Murmu, creating a chaos in the organisation. Defying the party’s line, Congress MLA from Cuttack-Barabati constituency Mohammed Moquim voted in favour of NDA Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.
“I took such a decision as an Odia. When the daughter of the soil was contesting for the top post, I decided to vote for her. As there is no whip, the MLAs have right to vote as per their wish,” Moquim later told reporters.
As many as 146 members of the 147-seat Odisha Assembly exercised their franchise.
While 145 MLAs including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra and all state ministers cast their votes at Room No-54 of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, leader of opposition (BJP) Pradipta Kumar Naik voted in New Delhi.
However, Chilika MLA Prasanta Kumar Jagadev did not turn up.
