UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee got the overwhelming support of Parliamentarians in the President's election securing a vote value of 3,73,116. Mukherjee's lone rival PA Sangma, supported by some opposition parties including BJP, managed to get a vote value of only 1,45,848 in the counting of votes which is in progress at Parliament House, official sources said. A total of 748 MPs voted in the election on July 19. Of the total votes, Mukherjee got 527 votes while Sangma got 206. Fifteen votes including that of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were invalid. Pranab gets overwhelming support of MPs Each MP has a vote value of 708. There are a total of 776 voters in both the houses of Parliament. The electoral college consists of 4120 MLAs in the states. In Andhra Pradesh, which has a 294-member Assembly, Mukherjee got the support of 182 MLAs including that of Congress and YSR Congress while Sangma got the backing of three. Five were invalid. In terms of vote value, Mukherjee got 26936 while Sangma 444. A total of 190 MLAs voted because TDP and TRS abstained. Each MLA in Andhra Pradesh has a vote value of 148. Mukherjee kept up his lead even in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, where he got 54 of the 59 votes polled. The vote value corresponded to 432 for Mukherjee, while it was 16 for Sangma. Three votes were invalid. Counting of votes for the 14th Presidential election began in Parliament House on Sunday in which UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee has a clear edge over BJP-backed Purno A Sangma. Counting of ballots began amidst tight security in Parliament House in New Delhi in the presence of authorised representatives of both Mukherjee and Sangma. The ballot boxes of votes cast in Parliament House were taken up first for counting after which those from the states will be opened. Authorised representatives inspected the seals of the ballot boxes and the counting began after ascertaining that they were not tampered with. UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee looked set to be elected India's new President on Sunday and analysts said the veteran politician could play a key role in steering the nation through testing times. Pranab Mukherjee had a breakfast of milk and fruits and was relaxed and "eagerly awaiting the outcome" of the vote counting, an aide said on Sunday. “He is relaxed. He is eagerly awaiting the results and confident of winning,“ a close aide of Mukherjee told IANS. 'Relaxed' Pranab awaiting presidential poll results Mukherjee, 76, a ruling Congress party loyalist, was the overwhelming favourite for the post of head of state after drawing broad support over rival Purno A Sangma, 64, a former Speaker of Lok Sabha. The President is chosen by 4,896 state and parliamentary lawmakers and Mukherjee's success would mark a welcome victory for the embattled Congress, which is struggling with a string of graft scandals and a slowing economy. The lawmakers cast their votes late last week and results from the counting were due in the afternoon on Sunday. Famously just five-feet (152 centimetres) 
Pranab Mukherjee waves as he leaves the finance ministry in this file photo. AFP/Prakash Singh
tall, Mukherjee -- who uses a stool to be seen over podiums -- has long been Congress's firefighter, leaving many wondering how the party will cope without its "political Mr Fixit." But analysts say he may be called on to play an even more influential role as President. Under the Constitution, the Prime Minister wields most of the executive power but the President can play a vital part in forming governments. Mukherjee, who resigned as finance minister to seek the presidency, could "be the kingmaker," said analyst TK Tripathi. With the upsurge of regional parties in an increasingly fractious political landscape and the possibility of a hung Parliament after the 2014 elections, he could have a pivotal role in deciding the next government, analysts say. "It's in this turbulent scenario Mukherjee as a President will be able to steer the ship of the state. He's a troubleshooter," said Sanjay Kumar, analyst at India's Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. The Rashtrapati Bhavan's current occupant, Pratibha Patil, 77, India's first woman president, has kept a low profile and cut a conservative figure with her sari pulled over her hair. Victory of Pranab Mukherjee, the ruling UPA's candidate for the Presidential poll held on Thursday, is a foregone conclusion, but the final outcome will be announced after counting of the ballots on Sunday at Parliament House. "The results of the presidential election will be known immediately after counting is over Sunday," Rajya Sabha secretary general and returning officer for the poll VK Agnihotri said in New Delhi. Agnihotri noted that the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has made necessary security arrangements for the counting that
Pranab Mukherjee during an interaction with the media at his residence in New Delhi. PTI/Subhav Shukla
will take place in Room No. 63 of Parliament House from 11am.Rajya Sabha officials, who have been entrusted with the conduct of the presidential poll, said all the ballot boxes from the states have reached Parliament House, where a strong room for storing them had been prepared. About 95% of the total 4,896 electors - 776 MPs and 4,120 assembly members - exercised their franchise at the polling centres set up at Parliament House and 30 other state and union territories with assemblies. Mukherjee is expected to bag 735,000 of the 1,097,000 votes, bagging the support of the United Progressive Alliance constituents such as the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK, and National Conference, apart from supporting parties such as the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and others. He also got the support of opposition National Democratic Alliance members such as the Shiv Sena and the Janata Dal-United and other smaller parties such as the YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh. His rival Purno Sangma, supported by Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiromani Akali Dal, Asom Gana Parishad, AIADMK and Biju Janata Dal, is expected to garner about 313,000 votes. Interestingly, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's ballot will not be counted, as he had inadvertently voted for Sangma, though he had pledged support to Mukherjee, the first time, and then tore the ballot to vote a second time. On a complaint from Sangma's advocate and BJP leader Satya Pal Jain, the Election Commission had ordered that Source: Hindustan Times
