Cross-voting in states boosts Ram Nath Kovind's victory margin

Congress leadership suspects that Shankarsinh Vaghela and his supporters in Gujarat voted for Kovind

Polling data released by the returning officer indicate several instances of cross-voting in the presidential election.

The Congress leadership suspects that Shankarsinh Vaghela and his supporters in Gujarat voted for Ram Nath Kovind, the NDA candidate. The party has advised its legislators and workers to keep away from the show of strength planned by Vaghela’s supporters to mark his birthday on Friday.

There was also cross-voting in favour of Kovind in Goa, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tripura. BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind’s election manager, claimed that 116 lawmakers from Opposition parties, including the Congress, appeared to have