JD(U) Rajya Sabha member NK Singh and (right) Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui cast their votes for the presidential election in Patna on Thursday. Pictures by Deepak Kumar

Patna, July 19: The war of words between the BJP and the JD(U) in the run-up to the presidential poll mellowed down today with MLAs of the alliance partners sharing banters while voting for their respective candidates.

Few even charged each other for accepting money to cast votes, while a minister was found sleeping in the chambers and some smoking.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to extend support to UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee had triggered a war of words between the two ruling partners in the state. However, the tension disappeared today as the legislators of the two allies appeared in a relaxed mood as they queued up to cast ballots.

Senior leaders of both the parties were found working like polling agents and instructing their peers to cast vote for their respective choices of candidates only. For, few MLAs did not how to vote and they needed guidance from their seniors.

Senior Congress leader Sadanand Singh (Khalgaon MLA) cast the first vote at 10am. Before casting their votes, all BJP MLAs were found visiting the chamber of Sushil Kumar Modi at the Assembly. Senior leaders like road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav, who was in Modi’s chamber, guided the young MLAs. Newly elected BJP MLC Mangal Pandey was assigned with the task to instruct all the MLAs how to vote in case of any confusion.

“As soon as you enter the voting room, you will find two names — the first one is of our candidate (P.A. Sangma) and the second one is of the UPA candidate. You have to just draw a line. This means you are voting for Sangma, do not draw two lines,” Mangal was seen telling a first-time MLA.

After casting their vote, the BJP MLAs were again seen going to Sushil’s chambers where a packet filled with sandwich, sweets and dhokla awaited them. BJP and JD(U) MLAs were seen sharing banters in the queue. “Whom are you going to vote for, Pranab or Sangama?” a JD(U) MLA asked a BJP legislator. The BJP MLA replied: “Your candidate is weak but ours is deserving.”

Vikram Kunwar, the BJP MLA from Raghunathpur of Siwan district, entered the chamber of the Leader of the Opposition, Abdul Bari Siddiqui. “I know we are losing but we have taken your 12 MLAs. They have voted for our candidate,” said Kunwar.

Suddenly, RJD MLA Samrat Chaudhary said: “It seems somebody has given you huge money to do this job.”

Kuwar replied: “Yes, you are the one who has given us Rs 1 lakh each.”

With the situation apparently becoming unsavoury, Siddiqui interrupted: “I have doubts that BJP MLAs are taking something else in that packet because they are neither eating nor opening it.”

Of the 243 MLAs, two did not vote.