Yashwant Sinha bags third highest vote percentage as an opposition presidential candidate.
Droupadi Murmu was elected as the first tribal president of India on Thursday defeating opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha with an overwhelming majority. Murmu got 64 percent votes while Yashwant Sinha received 36 percent votes.
The margin of victory reflects significant cross voting from the opposition camp though Yashwant Sinha’s 36 percent vote is third highest percentage of vote received by an opposition candidate in the presidential election. To a degree cross voting was expected since the choice of Droupadi Murmu as ruling National Democratic Alliance candidate has put many opposition parties, having commitment towards the causes of Scheduled Tribes, in a fix.
Even then the scale of cross voting is shocking. Reports suggest that around 125 MLAs and 17 opposition MPs cross-voted in the favor of Murmu. In Assam 25 MLAs belonging to the opposition camp voted for Droupadi Murmu.
Interestingly, six members from the opposition camp in Bihar voted in the favor of Murmu. It must be noted that for months a section of local media is speculating that the opposition led by Rashtriya Janata Dal may soon topple the NDA government in the state.
