A total of 190 MLAs and 3 MPs cast their votes in the presidential election held in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.
Polling began amid tight security, with the speaker, Nadendla Manohar, casting his vote first. Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, deputy chief minister C Damodar Raj Narasimha and PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana were among those who cast their votes in the first round, followed by the cabinet ministers.
Both Kiran Kumar Reddy and Botsa Satyanarayana monitored the voting pattern of Congress legislators.
Another significant feature of the exercise was the presence of the TDP MLAs - Venu Gopalachary, Harishwar Reddy, Kodali Nani, Chinnam Ramakotaiah and Y Balanagi Reddy - who defied the party's
decision to abstain from the presidential election to cast their votes. Interestingly, rebel Congress MLA Sujay Ranga Rao sported the YSR Congress scarf before going inside to cast his vote.
In the presidential elections, 155 Congress MLAs, 5 from TDP, 17 from YSRCP, 7 from MIM, 2 from BJP, one from CPI(M), two independent candidates and one Lok Satta MLA cast their votes. The Telugu Desam, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Communist Party of India abstained from the voting.
The results of the presidential elections would be declared on July 22. (INN)