Prez poll: Counting of votes begins, all eyes on Pranab Mukherjee(Lead:Prez polls)

New Delhi, July 22 (ANI): Counting of votes for the presidential election began here on Sunday with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) looking all confident that its candidate Pranab Mukherjee would emerge victorious in the Raisina Hill race.

The result of the presidential election that was held on July 19 is expected to be out by late afternoon.

As per the norm, the ballot boxes from the states have been brought to New Delhi for the counting.

The polling percentage has been less than expected this time with only 72 percent of the total votes valued at 11 lakh polled. Of the total votes polled, estimated to be around 8 lakh, Mukherjee is expecting around 5.6 lakh votes.

Mukherjee nears the finish line of Rashtrapati Bhavan, as his candidature has been backed by major outside allies like the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) besides the UPA.

Trinamool Congress (TMC), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), JD (S), CPI-M, YSR Congress and Forward Bloc have also extended their support to Mukherjee along with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners Janata Dal-United and Shiv Sena.

Security has been stepped up at Pranab Mukherjee's residence at 13, Talkatora Road here.

P.A. Sangma, a former Lok Sabha Speaker, jumped into the fray playing the tribal card with the initial support of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

The BJP and Akali Dal decided to back Sangma, who quit the NCP, the party he founded with Sharad Pawar, to contest the election.

The new President will be administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of India on July 25 at the historic Central Hall of Parliament.

The President of India is the head of state of the Republic of India. The President is the formal head of the legislature, executive and judiciary branches of Indian Democracy and is the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. The powers to pardon and clemency are vested with the President of India. (ANI)