Non-Congress parties like Telugu Desam, TRS and the YSR Congress will most probably publicise their stand regarding the Presid-ential elections on July 18, a day before polling.
Party sources said that YSR Congress leader Ms Y.S. Vijayalakshmi would announce on July 18 that the party would vote in favour of UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee. A communication has also been sent to all party MLAs to attend a meeting on that day.
It is, however, still not clear how YSR Congress chief Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy will exercise his voting rights from behind bars. While the Election Commission has, on his request, permitted him to vote from the AP Assembly polling station, one is unsure whether Mr Reddy will have to move a separate bail application at a lower court for this purpose.
His bail application is still pending at the Supreme Court which will give its orders on Monday.
The Election Commission, meanwhile, has also permitted MPs N. Janardhan Reddy, Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and Konakalla Narayana Rao to cast their votes from the Assembly polling station.
While it is almost certain that the YSR Congress will side with Mr Mukherjee, the Telugu Desam is in two minds and might abstain. Sources said that party chief Mr Chandrababu Naidu would issue a statement on July 18.
TD sources confirmed that Mr Pranab Mukherjee had contacted Mr Naidu twice asking for support.
“Mr Naidu will announce the stand on July 18. But since there has been no word from the party headquarters to MLAs regarding participation in the polls, it is evident that we are going to abstain from voting,” said a TD source.