The counting of votes to elect India’s 15th President will be held on Thursday as the counting will begin at Parliament House at 11 am.

The voting to elect the president took place on July 18 and was completed in a peaceful manner. Presently, the contest is between BJP-led NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu and Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. It is evident that the NDA candidate has a clear edge in the contest.

Also read: India elects its President: Its Droupadi Murmu vs Yashwant Sinha

Earlier on Monday, the voting ended at 5 pm at the Parliament House and at designated places in the capitals of all states besides the UTs of Puducherry and Delhi.

Of the 736 electors comprising 727 MPs and nine MLAs who were permitted by the Election Commission to vote at Parliament House, 728 electors cast their vote. This includes 719 MPs and nine MLAs. The total turnout at Parliament House was 98.91 per cent.

Also read: AAP announces support for Yashwant Sinha in presidential polls

Arrangements were made to bring back the polled ballot boxes from states to Parliament House by July 19.

It is reported that the counting of votes will take place in Room No 63 in Parliament House and the result will be declared immediately after the counting. The immediate precincts of Room Number 63 have been declared as sanitised and “silent zone”.

Also read: Presidential Elections 2022: How BJP is planning to celebrate Droupadi Murmu’s victory

Only counting officers, officials deployed to assist the Rajya Sabha Secretary General, candidates and one authorised representative of each candidate, observers appointed by the Election Commission and media persons with valid passes will be allowed entry into the counting hall. Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody is the returning officer for the Presidential election.