The Presidential election 2022 will be held on July 18 and the counting of votes, if required, will be conducted on July 21, the Election Commission announced on Thursday. The last date of nomination has been set for June 29, the poll panel said at a press conference held at 3 pm to announce the schedule. The term of President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24 and an election for the next president is to be held before that day. The new president has to be sworn in by July 25.
“A total of 4,809 electors to vote in the Presidential elections 2022. No political party can issue a whip to its members,” said chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
The president is elected by the votes cast by the Electoral College, consisting of 776 members of Parliament (members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha combined) and 4,033 members of the legislative assemblies, with a total of 4,809 votes being cast. The value of the votes of the members of assemblies combined is 543,231 and the MPs is 543,200, equaling a value of 1,086,431.
The nominated members of either Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha or legislative assemblies of the states are not eligible to be included in the electoral college and therefore, they are not entitled to participate in the election.
Similarly, members of the legislative councils are also not electors for the presidential election.
In 2017, the presidential polls were held on July 17 and the counting took place on July 20.
So far, no political party has named its choice for the top constitutional post.