The polling for the election of the 15th President of India concluded successfully in free, fair and transparent manner at the Parliament House on Monday. The ruling Naveen-led BJD ensured that NDA Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu gets maximum votes from Odisha, repeating its 2017 move.
All the BJD MLAs were even given a short training on how to vote in the Presidential election in Assembly so that not a single vote is rejected. However, political analysts and intellectuals have been raising various questions as to why BJD was so keen on supporting President and vice-president nominees selected by NDA.
Is it because of CBI and ED fear? Well, at least Congress thinks so.
“Supporting Draupadi Murmu was understandable because she is the daughter of Odisha. But, why is BJD supporting vice-president nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar. Opposition nominee Margaret Alva was a very close friend of Biju Babu. But, still BJD is supporting Dhankhar. So, it is very clear that they are scared of CBI and ED,” said Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka.
“Most of the BJD ministers are corrupted and involved in scams and chit funds. So, they are afraid of central agencies like CBI and ED,” he added.
Commenting on the election, BJP Member of Lok Sabha Suresh Pujari said, “BJD has no other option as Congress has no credentials as Opposition anymore.”
“The party thinks that both Droupadi Murmu and Jagdeep Dhankhar are the ideal candidates for President and Vice-President. They can serve the country in the right direction. So, it was a unanimous decision to vote for them,” said Arabinda Dhali, BJD MP.
On the other hand, Odisha Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim stoked serious speculations in the political corridors in the state on Monday by saying that he voted in favour of the NDA's pick for the Presidential election, Draupadi Murmu.
Soon after casting his vote, the Barabati-Cuttack legislator clarified that he chose the daughter of the soil for the country's top most constitutional post.
“I took such a decision as an Odia. When the daughter of the soil was contesting for the top post, I decided to vote for her. As there is no whip, the MLAs have right to vote as per their wish,” said Moquim.