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Jagdeep Dhankhar elected 14th Vice-President of India

NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar was elected as the 14th Vice-President of India on Saturday as he defeated Opposition candidate Margaret Alva.

Mr. Dhankhar, a former Governor of West Bengal, secured 528 votes while 80-year-old Alva got 182. The numbers were stacked in favour of Mr. Dhankhar as the ruling BJP enjoys an absolute majority in Lok Sabha and has 91 members in Rajya Sabha. The BJP heads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Even before the results were announced, celebrations had started outside the residence of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi where Mr. Dhankhar was present. Joyous scenes were also reported from Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu, the hometown of Dhankhar.

Soon after the announcement of the result, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Mr. Dhankhar and congratulated him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Vice-President-elect Jagdeep Dhankhar in New Delhi on August 6, 2022.

Mr. Dhankhar, 71, will succeed M. Venkaiah Naidu whose tenure ends on August 10.

As many as 725 MPs cast their ballots in the poll, which is 92.94% of total votes adding 15 votes were declared invalid.

Utpal Kumar, Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and the Returning Officer, said "Out of 780 total electors, 725 MPs turned up for voting. 15 votes were declared invalid." As many as 55 MPs did not vote in the election held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the day.

Ms. Alva congratulated Mr. Dhankhar on his victory and also thanked leaders of the Opposition and MPs from across parties who voted for her. “This election was an opportunity for the opposition to work together, to leave the past behind & build trust amongst each other. Unfortunately, some opposition parties chose to directly or indirectly support the BJP, in an attempt to derail the idea of a united opposition,” she said in a tweet. “It is my belief that by doing so, these parties and their leaders have damaged their own credibility,” she added.

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.