EC to start distributing poll material for presidential election

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission will start dispatching ballot papers and special pens to mark votes as well as ballot boxes for the July 18 presidential election from Tuesday.

As part of the two-day exercise, the poll material will be sent to various state legislative assemblies where voting will be held.

The exercise has been planned to keep in mind the flight schedules of various states.

Besides legislative assemblies, voting will also take place in Parliament House.

Elected MPs and elected MLAs -- and not the nominated ones -- form the electoral college which elects the president. MLCs are not entitled to vote. Delhi and Puducherry are the two union territories with legislative assemblies where MLAs will vote. The NDA has nominated Droupadi Murmu as the presidential candidate while major non-BJP parties, including the Congress and the TMC, have named former Union minister Yashwant Sinha as the joint nominee for the presidential election.