Despite the newly formed United National Progressive Alliance or Third Front's decision to abstain from voting in the presidential polls, its partners All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Thursday took a u-turn and exercised their franchise to elect the successor of A P J Abdul Kalam.
AIADMK has not officially announced whom they were supporting but party sources said that they were voting for NDA-backed independent candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
The MLAs of AIADMK came in batches and stood in the long queue for casting their votes. The MLAs of AIADMK's ally MDMK were also seen.
The AIADMK's decision evoked strong response from the UPA and its Left supporters, who saw a vertical split in the Third Front.
"The Third Front has split even before it could complete two months, with the AIADMK going its own way," Congress MP Rajiv Shukla told media persons.
Echoing similar views, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, "The Third Front has broken up. UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil will win with a historic margin."
Shukla alleged that Jayalalithaa has always been with BJP and RSS 'from her heart and mind.'