Aftermath of the assembly elections in five states, including politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, Indian polity will witness the presidential election. It has been learned that Parliament has begun preparations for the election of the next President, according to The Indian Express report. With Pranab Mukherjee’s tenure as the Head of the State ending in July this year, a President Election 2017 Cell has been set up, which was allotted two rooms in Parliament complex on January 30. Room Number 79 on second floor and Room number 108-A on the third floor have been allotted for the purpose, the report said.

Since outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee assumed office on July 25 in 2012, the new President has to be sworn in on July 25 this year. Activities of the President Election Cell are likely to increase after the budget session as it will require to involve state assemblies, which are part of the electoral college for the President’s election.

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Earlier, President’s Secretariat also requested the Urban Development Ministry to look for a suitable accommodation for Mukherjee, whose term expires in July next year. The officials of the President’s Secretariat were shown the bungalow on APJ Abdul Kalam Road and they have agreeable to it becoming Mukherjee’s new home after he demits office, the source said. Mukherjee had defeated Sangma, who passed away in March this year aged 68, to become the 13th President of India.

A retired President is entitled to rent-free accommodation anywhere in India with free water and electricity for the remainder of his/her life as per the President s Pension Rules, 1962. Apart from other entitlements like telephone, internet connection, etc., a retired President is also entitled to office staff, a car (if he uses his own car, he can claim up to 250 litres of petrol every month) and the salary of a driver.

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The rules state that “…at places where Government-owned accommodation is allotted to a retired President, the size of the residence shall be comparable to a residence allotted to a Minister in the Union Council of Ministers, and if the highest type of Government residence available at a particular place is less in size than a residence allotted to a Minister in the Union Council of Ministers, the highest type of accommodation available at that place shall be allotted to the ex-President.”