Prez poll: Gujarat NCP MLA Kandhal Jadeja indulges in cross-voting

The Nationalist Congress Party MLA in Gujarat, Kandhal Jadeja, on Monday said he voted for the National Democratic Alliance's nominee Draupadi Murmu in the presidential election. Notably, political parties cannot issue whip to their MLAs and MPs in the presidential poll.

After voting in the Assembly complex here for the presidential election, Jadeja in a video statement said, "I cast my vote for the BJP candidate."

The opposition has fielded former Union minister Yashwant Sinha against NDA nominee Murmu.


The Sharad Pawar-headed NCP is one of the constituents of the Congress-led opposition bloc in the country.

In 2020, the NCP had issued a show cause notice was issued by the NCP to Jadeja, the lone party MLA in Gujarat from Kutiyana seat in Porbandar, for defying the whip and cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls.

Jadeja had defied the party whip and voted for BJP candidates instead of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat in 2017 and 2020.

Voting to elect the country's 15th president was underway in the Gujarat Assembly complex in Gandhinagar from 10 am on Monday and will continue till 5 pm.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Speaker Nimaben Acharya, former CM Vijay Rupani, ex-Deputy CM Nitin Patel and Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathva were among those who cast their votes.