By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, July 17, 2017: All but one legislators in Odisha on Monday cast their votes in the state Assembly for the presidential election to elect the 14th President of India.

The contest for the highest post in the country is between ruling NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind and opposition-backed Meira Kumar. The polling is being held to choose the successor of incumbent Pranab Mukherjee, who demits office on July 25.

146 of the 147 members of the state Assembly and an MP exercised their franchise as the voting for the presidential election in Odisha concluded here in the evening.

Congress legislator from Bijepur constituency in Bargarh district Subal Sahu was the lone MLA, who did not cast vote.

NDAs presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind is being supported by the ruling BJD in Odisha. Kovind was in Odisha on July 14 and met leaders of BJD and BJP at separate meetings here.

The UPA candidate Meira Kumar could not visit Odisha in the run up to the presidential election since her tour was cancelled.

While there are 117 BJD MLAs in the 147-member Odisha Assembly, the Congress has 16 legislators, the BJP 10, the CPI-M and the Samata Kranti Dal have one MLA each. There are two Independent MLAs in the House.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, other ministers, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra and Rajya Sabha member (Independent) A.V. Swamy exercised their franchise at the assembly.

Narasingha Mishra was the first to cast his vote followed by Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party Chiranjib Biswal, Congress legislators Devendra Sharma and Naba Kishore Das. Congress members have voted for Meira Kumar, said Mishra.

After voting ends, ballot boxes would be flown to Delhi and stored in Parliament. The votes would be counted and results would be announced on July 20.

The total value of votes of the electoral college is 10,98,903, and the NDA candidate is slated to cross the halfway-mark and get about 63 per cent votes.

If elected, 71-year-old Kovind will be the second Dalit to become President after K.R. Narayanan, who was the 10th President.