Presidential Election of India 2022 was the 16th Presidential election to elect the 15th President of India.
Polling for election to the office of President of India, which is the highest elective office in the country, concluded successfully in free, fair and transparent manner at the Parliament House on 18 July 2022.
» There were two contesting candidates namely, Shrimati Droupadi Murmu and Shri Yashwant Sinha for the 16th Presidential election.
» The Election Commission had appointed Shri P. C. Mody, Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha, as the Returning officer for the Presidential Election, 2022.
Voting for the Presidential Election of India 2022:
This year, there were a total of 4796 electors in the list of Electoral College for this Presidential Election to participate in the election.
The total value of vote of electors for the Presidential Election, 2022 was 1086431.
As per reports being received, out of a total of 771 Members of Parliament entitled to vote (05 vacant) and similarly out of total 4025 Members of the Legislative Assemblies entitled to vote (06 vacant and 02 disqualified), over 99% cast their votes.
However, 100% voting by MLAs was reported from Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.
Out of total 4796 electors who were eligible to vote, (771 MPs and 4025 MLAs), 4754 electors (763 MPs and 3991 MLAs) exercised their franchise.
Presidential Election of India 2022 Result:
The total number of valid ballot papers was 4701, representing 1056980 votes. The total number of invalid ballot papers was 53, representing 15397 votes.
- Shrimati Droupadi Murmu secured total of 6,76,803 votes, while Yashwant Sinha has garnered 3,80,177 votes.
» The Returning Officer of the Presidential Election of India declared Shrimati Droupadi Murmu elected as the next President of India on 21st July, 2022.
- Shrimati Droupadi Murmu became the 15th President of the Republic of India.
» Shrimati Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as the 15th President of India on 25 July 2022. She was sworn in by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana at Central Hall of the Parliament.
» Droupadi Murmu, 64, from Odisha became the first tribal President and the second woman after Pratibha Patil to hold the office. She is also the youngest President of India.
Important Points of Presidential Election of India:
» The term of office of Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, ended on 24th July, 2022. As per Article 62 of the Constitution of India, an election to fill the vacancy caused by the expiration of the term of office of the outgoing President is required to be completed before the expiration of the term.
» Article 324 of the Constitution read with the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952 and the Presidential and Vice – Presidential Elections Rules, 1974. According to the Article the superintendence, direction and control of the conduct of the election of the President of India is vested in the Election Commission of India.
» As per Article 54 of the Constitution, the President of India is elected by the Members of an Electoral College consisting of-
(a) the elected members of both Houses of Parliament, and
(b) the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all States [including National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry].
- The Members nominated to either House of Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States, including NCT of Delhi and Union Territory of Puducherry, are not eligible to be included in the Electoral College.
» Under Rule 40 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, the Election Commission of India is required to maintain a list of members of the Electoral College.