Haryana Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi said Monday that he had voted for Droupadi Murmu over Yashwant Sinha, his party's nominee, in the presidential election, saying that he had done so 'as per my conscience'.
Bishnoi said, "Like in Rajya Sabha, I cast my vote in this election too as per my conscience" and, asked about his future, said cryptically, "I will reveal soon."
Last month Bishnoi was dropped from all positions - including special invitee to the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body - after he voted against colleague Ajay Maken in Rajya Sabha polls.
Maken lost by the narrowest of margins.
READ | Cong expels Kuldeep Bishnoi over cross-voting charges in RS polls
"The party has taken serious note of Bishnoi's gross indiscipline as he did not vote for the official candidate... Stern action will be taken..." the Congress said.
Kuldeep Bishnoi - a four-time MLA and two-time MP - has been sulking since being passed over when the party selected a new Haryana chief this year.
{{/usCountry}}Kuldeep Bishnoi - a four-time MLA and two-time MP - has been sulking since being passed over when the party selected a new Haryana chief this year.
{{/usCountry}}Bishnoi is the second Congress MLA to have openly acknowledged voting for Murmu in this election, after Odisha MLA Mohammad Moquim.
Moquim said, "I am a Congress MLA… but I voted for NDA's candidate Droupadi Murmu. It is my personal decision as I've listened to my heart which guided me to do something for the soil and that's why voted for her."
READ | 'Cong is cross-voting': Assam MLA amid reports from various states
In addition, there have also been reports of Congress cross-voting from Madhya Pradesh, although this was denied by the party.
And it isn't just the Congress that is leaking votes to the BJP and Droupadi Murmu - a Nationalist Congress Party MLA from Gujarat has cross-voted.
LIVE UPDATES: 2022 presidential polls - Droupadi Murmu v Yashwant Sinha
The NCP's Kandhal S Jadeja told ANI he had voted for Murmu, despite party chief Sharad Pawar making it clear that support was to be extended to Yashwant Sinha, the candidate backed by the 'united' opposition front.
It is 'clear the Congress is cross-voting', an Assam MLA also told ANI.
For what it is worth, reports of cross-voting have also emerged in Sinha's favour.
At least nine BJP leaders in Bengal have voted for Yashwant Sinha, if senior members of the ruling Trinamool are to be believed, but the numbers are so heavily in Droupadi Murmu's favour that it is all but certain she will win.
Meanwhile, the race for the vice president's post will be between ex Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has been nominated by the NDA and filed his papers this morning in the presence of prime minister Narendra Modi and the opposition front's Margaret Alva - the former Rajasthan governor.
With input from ANI