Vice President Elections 2022: 71-year-old Jagdeep Dhankhar is a Jat leader from Rajasthan.
Jagdeep Dhankhar was elected as the vice-president this evening. Members of parliament of both houses voted to elect the next Vice-President in an election where NDA candidate Dhankhar was pitted against Opposition's Margaret Alva.
The BJP-led NDA candidate won the election comfortably with 528 votes against Ms Alva's 182, the voting for which took place earlier today. The number of votes required to win was 372.
The 80-year-old Margaret Alva is a Congress veteran and has served as governor of Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, while the 71-year-old Jagdeep Dhankhar is a Jat leader from Rajasthan with socialist background.
Here are the Highlights on Vice President Elections 2022:
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu congratulates Jagdeep Dhankar on winning VP poll; says nation will benefit from his experience, legal expertise
Margaret Alva after losing vice-president polls
By directly or indirectly supporting BJP, some parties and their leaders damaged own credibility, said Margaret Alva after losing vice-president polls.
PM Modi meets vice president-elect DhankharPrime Minister Narendra Modi met vice president-elect Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday evening to congratulate him on his win.
BJP president J P Nadda also met Dhankhar at the residence of Union minister Pralhad Joshi here.
Jagdeep Dhankhar's journey from a Rajasthan village to Vice President HouseOnce a "reluctant politician", Jagdeep Dhankhar's reemergence in the political scene in 2019 as West Bengal governor surprised many, so has his rise to the office of the Vice President of India.
Dhankhar, 71, was declared elected as the Vice President on Saturday after he bagged 528 votes against his rival candidate Margaret Alva's 182.
A man of many interests, his long legal career at the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court and a brief stint as the junior parliamentary affairs minister at the Centre will come in handy as he presides over the Rajya Sabha as its Chairman.
Dhankhar, who had been associated with the Janata Dal and the Congress, joined the BJP only in 2008 after a hiatus of nearly a decade.
He has championed issues related to Other Backward Classes, including the grant of OBC status to the Jat community in Rajasthan.
Jagdeep Dhankhar Is New Vice President, Defeats Margaret Alva
Jagdeep Dhankhar, former Bengal Governor, is the new Vice President. He bested Opposition's Margaret Alva to emerge winner.
725 MPs voted in the election of the Vice President: Sources
725 MPs voted in the election of the Vice President, sources said. Even though the Trinamool Congress had decided not to vote, Bengal leader of opposition Shubhendu Adhikari's father Sisir Adhikari, and brother Dibyendu Adhikari voted. 34 Trinamool MPs did not vote. Results are likely later today.
Around 93 per cent of MPs vote in vice presidential pollAround 93 per cent polling was recorded in the vice presidential election on Saturday, with more than 50 MPs not exercising their franchise.
Officials said of the total 780 MPs, as many as 725 MPs voted till 5 pm when the polling concluded.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh cast their ballots early in the day, while opposition leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi voted a little after noon, the officials said.
The Trinamool Congress, which has 39 MPs, including 23 in Lok Sabha, has already announced its decision to abstain from the election. However, two of its MPs -- Sisir Kumar Adhikari and Dibyendu Adhikari -- broke ranks and cast their ballots.
Polling to elect the next Vice President of India began at 10 am, with Modi being among the first ones to vote.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in a wheelchair and needed support to stand up and vote. CPM MP John Brittas was among those who helped the veteran leader in exercising his franchise. The two-term former prime minister greeted those present with folded hands.
Prominent leaders of different states call on President Murmu amid Vice-President poll
Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Saha and Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national capital on Saturday.
Manmohan Singh casts his vote
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in a wheelchair and needed support to stand up and caste his vote. CPM MP John Brittas was among those who helped the veteran leader in exercising his franchise. The two-term prime minister greeted those present with folded hands.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were among the leaders who turned up early at the Parliament House.
Vice-Presidential Poll: How voting works
The electoral college in the vice presidential election comprises a total of 788 members of both Houses of Parliament. Since all the electors are members of both Houses of Parliament, the value of vote of each MP would be the same -- one, the Election Commission has said.
The election is being held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote and the voting at such election is by secret ballot.
Voting for Vice-Presidential poll begins
The voting has begun in the vice-presidential elections.
Margaret Alva faces an uphill task
Margaret Alva can expect 26 per cent votes (around 200). She has the support of Congress, MK Stalin's DMK, Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and the Left parties.
Mayawati Announces Support For Jagdeep Dhankhar
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has announced her party's support for NDA's Vice-Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Vice President elections today
The Vice-Presidential elections will be held in the Parliament House from 10 am to 5 pm today and the results are likely later in the evening.