Jagdeep Dhankhar is India's new Vice President

NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar was declared elected as the Vice President of India on Saturday (August 6) after he bagged 528 votes against his rival candidate Margaret Alva’s 182.

Dhankhar, 71, will succeed M Venkaiah Naidu who demits office on August 10.

The returning officer of the vice presidential election said of the total 780 electors, 725 cast their ballots but 15 votes were found to be invalid.

The turnout was 92.94%, he said, adding that a candidate needed 356 votes to get elected. Of all the valid votes, Dhankhar secured 74.36%.

He has the highest winning margin in the last six vice presidential elections held since 1997. As many as 55 MPs did not vote in the vice presidential election held from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday.

The Trinamool Congress, which has a total of 36 MPs, including 23 in Lok Sabha, had abstained from the election. However, two of its MPs had cast their ballots.

The numbers were stacked in favour of Dhankhar as the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoys an absolute majority in Lok Sabha and has a clear advantage in Rajya Sabha.

Earlier updates

Earlier, polling began at 10 am, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being among the first ones to cast 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 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.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president JP Nadda, and Commerce Minister and Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal arrived together to cast their vote.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, BJP chief whip Rakesh Singh, Telangana Rashtra Samithi MPs and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Partys Raghu Rama Krishna Raju vote were among the others that have cast their vote so far.

With the ruling BJP having an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and 91 members in the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar has a clear edge over his rival. He is likely to succeed incumbent M Venkaiah Naidu, whose tenure ends on August 10.

All MPs of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, are entitled to vote in the vice presidential election.

The two Houses of Parliament together have a sanctioned strength of 788 MPs, of which there are eight vacancies in the Upper House. Hence, 780 MPs are eligible to cast their ballot in this election.

SAD backs NDA candidate

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said his party has supported NDA nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar in the polling to elect the next Vice President of India.

Badal said, “Shiromani Akali Dal supports a peasants son, crusader for farmers rights and the man who secured OBC status for the farming community (Jats) in his state, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar for the Vice Presidency.”