India is all set to get its 14th President as the counting of ballots for the presidential election has finally begun with the numbers stacked in favour of the ruling NDA’s nominee Ram Nath Kovind over opposition’s candidate Meira Kumar. The name of the next occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhawan would be known by around 5.00 pm. First, the ballot box of Parliament House would be opened, and then, the ballot boxes received from states would be counted on alphabetical basis. No matter which way this election swings, India will have its second Dalit President after KR Narayanan. Before the voting, Opposition nominee Meira Kumar said this election was a battle of ideologies and not caste.
The votes would be counted on four separate tables and there would be eight rounds of counting. An Election Commission official, who has witnessed previous two presidential polls, said usually results are declared around 5 pm. Close to 99 per cent voting was recorded for electing India’s next president.

1.Counting of votes has started at 11 am in Room Number 62 on the first floor of the Parliament House with the opening of first ballot box of Parliament House. Then, the ballot boxes received from states would be counted in an alphabetical order. Results will be out by 5 pm. 

2.Counting will be held under the supervision of the Lok Sabha secretary general Anoop Mishra, who is also the Returning Officer. 

3.Ballot boxes will be opened in the presence of representatives of the two candidates -- Ram Nath Kovind and Meira Kumar -- and the observers of the Election Commission.

4.The President is elected by the electoral college. This comprises all elected members of Parliament and the members of the legislative assemblies of all states, as well as of the union territories of Delhi and Puducherry. 

5.The total strength of the electoral college is 10,98,903 votes. A candidate needs 50 per cent-plus votes to win the poll. That translates to 5,49,452 votes. 

6.Kovind is expected to get almost 70 per cent of the votes over the UPA candidate Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha Speaker, as he enjoys support of 40 parties including JD-U, BJD, TRS, different factions of AIADMK, and the YSR Congress. The presidential poll on Monday saw nearly 99 per cent voting. 

7.Current President Pranab Mukherjee's term is ending on July 24 and the India's 14th President will take oath the next day. 

8.In the last Presidential polls held in 2012, Pranab Mukherjee had defeated PA Sangma with over 69 per cent votes.