A lone legislator from Tamil Nadu had cast an invalid vote in the recently-concluded presidential elections won by NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu. In all probability, the MLA belonged to the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
The Tamil Nadu electoral college in the Assembly comprises of 234 votes. While all legislators voted in the polls, the results showed that one of them had cast an invalid vote.
While Murmu had polled 75 votes, the Opposition candidate Yashwant Singha had secured 158 votes.
Considering that the AIADMK’s 66 MLAs, including three expelled legislators, five PMK MLAs and four BJP legislators add up to 75, it is surmised that there was no cross-voting from the group. All had extended support to Murmu.
Therefore, it is believed the invalid vote would have been cast by a member of the Secular Progressive Alliance that comprises the DMK (including other party candidates who contested in its symbol), Congress, two Left parties and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.
On Friday, some took to social media wondering who the lone legislator was.
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