Rayvina Bose, 22nd of July,2022: A large number of opposition MLAs cross-voted in favour of the BJP's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, who is set to become India's first tribal President.
Around 125 MLAs and 17 opposition MPs cross-voted in Droupadi Murmu's support, according to sources.
Soon after Droupadi Murmu was elected winner versus the opposition's Yashwant Sinha, the BJP's Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Himanta Biswa Sarma put out messages "thanking" opposition MLAs who had voted according to their conscience.
Droupadi Murmu even won an unexpected vote from Kerala, where the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has not a single MLA in the 140-member assembly. The ruling Left-led coalition and the opposition Congress-led UDF had both announced their support for Yashwant Sinha.