Live | India President election 2022: Counting of votes - Droupadi Murmu leads in MP votes

The Returning officer announced that Droupadi Murmu of the NDA receives 540 of the 748 votes cast by MPs, while Yashwant Sinha of the opposition received 208 votes. The a value of Murmu's votes stands at 3,78,000, while that of the votes secured by Sinha have a value of 1,45,600

Next, the votes cast by MLAs would be tallied.
 

Votes for the presidential election are currently being counted in Parliament in New Delhi.

According to ANI, the counting will take place in Room 63 of Parliament House, and the outcome will be announced right away. The immediate vicinity of Room Number 63 has been designated as a "silent zone". 

Only those with valid passes will be permitted entry into the counting hall. 

This includes counting officers, staff members assigned to assist the Rajya Sabha Secretary General, candidates and one authorised representative for each candidate, observers appointed by the Election Commission, and members of the media with valid passes.

Delhi | Counting of votes for the Presidential election to begin soon, preparations  are underway at Parliament

Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody, who is the Chief Returning Officer for the poll, will oversee the counting on Thursday, the result of which is likely to be declared by the evening.

With ballot boxes from all States having reached the Parliament House, poll officials are ready for the counting in room number 63, the strong room of Parliament where the boxes are guarded behind round-the-clock security.

In this picture, Subhash Chandra, a member of Rajya Sabha, can be seen voting during the presidential election of India.

“Assisting returning officers of various states will start arriving with sealed ballot boxes via roads and flights this evening. Necessary security arrangements for safe transit from the airport to parliament house has been made,” Chief Returning Officer PC Mody said according to ANI.

The Chief Returning Officer PC Mody said that the presidential elections were conducted peacefully, and it saw an impressive turnout of 99.18 per cent.
 

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day as voting ended for the Indian presidential elections. The Lok Sabha will resume proceedings on July 19 and the counting of votes will take place on July 21.

Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee casts her vote for Presidential votes

SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP leader Nisith Pramanik were given new ballots after they failed to vote properly on their first try.

Yadav, who entered Parliament in a wheelchair, had trouble voting and was granted another opportunity, according to reports.

Pramanik was unable to vote properly on his first try and was given a second chance in accordance with the guidelines.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was likewise in a wheelchair and was aided in exercising his franchise by election authorities.

Manpreet Singh Ayali, a Shiromani Akali Dal MLA, announced on Monday that he would not be voting in the presidential election because he felt that the NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu was not given adequate consideration by his party leadership and that problems pertaining to Punjab remain unaddressed.

In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is represented by three lawmakers. 

Ayali declared in a video message that he is boycotting the election however, he asserted that he had no objections to Murmu's candidacy. 

The Indian state of Jharkhand, today cast its vote in the presidential election.

Anant Ojha and Bhanu Pratap Shahi, two BJP lawmakers, were among the early voters.

"I had the opportunity to cast the first vote in Jharkhand Assembly to elect the first person of the country. It is a matter of great pride for me," Ojha said.

"We strongly believe Murmu will work for the betterment of the society including the poor, downtrodden and Dalits," added Shahi

Murmu comes from the Santal tribe, which is well-represented in Jharkhand and its neighbouring state of Odisha, where she was born. She also served as the governor of Jharkhand.

On the other hand  Yashwant Sinha, the opposition contender, also has a deep-rooted connection with the state. He served as an MP from Jharkhand's Hazaribag district  and was a Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet

Did you know that Presidential elections don't use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)? Instead, the election for the first citizen of India makes use of ballot boxes. Do you know why?

Here's why.

As per Article 55 of the Indian Constitution, the President of India is elected by members of the Electoral College consisting of elected Members of Parliament and that of all the state assemblies including the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Take a look at how the voting process, election works.

Indian Presidential Election: BJP-led NDA announced Droupadi Murmu as a candidate. Meanwhile, Yashwant Sinha was chosen as the common candidate for opposition parties 

Let's take a look at the two candidates:

Voting to elect India's 15th President began at 10 am today, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting his ballot. Today, about 4,800 elected MPs and MLAs cast ballots.

On Monday, another round of voting will be held to choose a new president in the Parliament and the State Assemblies.

NDA candidate, Droupadi Murmu, is running against Yashwant Sinha, who is backed by the opposition parties. Voting will start at 10 am and last until 5 pm.

Members of Parliament will cast their ballots in a voting station that has been set up within the walls of the Indian Parliament.