By IANS
New Delhi : Counting began Saturday for the presidential election with the country set to have its first woman president in its 60 years of independence.
In one of the most bitterly fought presidential elections, ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-Left-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) combine's Pratibha Patil is slated to win with a huge majority.
The counting began at 11 a.m. in Room No. 62 of parliament building where 692 MPs registered their votes Thursday to elect the 13th president of the country.
The ballot boxes from the 30 assembly houses across the country have been brought to the national capital for counting. According to parliament sources, the Election Commission officials began counting the MPs' votes, followed by that of legislators from the states according to alphabetical order.
While Patil is expected to get more than 600,000 votes from the electoral college of MPs and MLAs, her rival Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, an independent backed by opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) may get around 300,000.
The new president will, to succeed A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, will be sworn in July 25.