Vice Presidential Election: Naidu Beats Gandhi With 516 Votes
NDA’s candidate M Venkaiah Naidu and Opposition’s candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi are all set for the final face-off.
M Venkaiah Naidu, the former Union minister, becomes the 13th vice president of India beating, former West Bengal governor, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, vice presidential elections on Saturday. A total of 771 MPs voted in the election. Fourteen MPs did not vote which included two from BJP, two from INC, two from IUML, four from TMC, one from NCP, one from PMK and two Independent.
- NDA’s pick M Venkaiah Naidu becomes India’s 13th vice president with 516 votes
- PM Modi congratulated Naidu on his victory
- 771 of 785 MPs voted recording 96.94 percent voting
- Fourteen MPs did not vote which included two from BJP and two from INC
- Naidu was pitted against Opposition’s candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Oppn Hit by Cross-Voting, Invalid and Missing Votes
Venkaiah Naidu Addresses the Media
Rajya Sabha he will uphold dignity and decorum of the house with cooperation of all members.
"I am overwhelmed with the honour that has been conferred on a common man like me with a background of agriculture," he said.
Thankful to PM and All Party Leaders For Their Support: Naidu
NDA nominee M Venkaiah Naidu was elected as the next Vice President of India by securing over two-thirds of votes leaving opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi far behind.
Naidu got 516 votes out of total 771 votes cast while Gandhi could only manage 244 votes. Of the total 771 votes polled, 11 were found to be invalid.
"Coming from an agricultural background, I never imagined I would be here. Agriculture has no proper voice in Indian polity," India's vice president-elect told PTI.
Election Saw 2 Victories – 1 for Naidu, Another of Free Speech: Gandhi
Opposition's pick Gopalkrishna Gandhi congratulated Venkaiah Naidu on his win and said that the election saw two victories – one of Naidu and another of free speech. The second victory belongs to all the people of India, he added.
He thanked the all the MPs who voted for him and said that they voted for free speech and pluralism.
Politicians and Celebrities Congratulate Venkaiah Naidu
After Naidu was elected as the vice president of India, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu congratulated him. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also tweeted and said:
Several other politicians also congratulated him.
Actor Rajinikanth also congratulated Naidu on Twitter.
PM Modi Congratulates Naidu on his Win
Soon after Naidu was elected as the vice president of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Naidu and said, “I am confident M Venkaiah Naidu will serve the nation as a diligent and dedicated vice president.”
M Venkaiah Naidu Becomes India's 13th Vice President
NDA’s nominee Venkaiah Naidu was elected at the 13th Vice-President of India on Saturday. Naidu defeated Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the Opposition’s candidate.
Polling for VP Post Ends, Counting of Votes Commenced at 6 pm
The poll time for the vice presidential elections is now over and counting began at 6.
Voting Ends With 771 of 785 Votes Polled
According to Mukul Pandey, the assistant returning officer of the vice presidential polls, 771 of 785 electors had voted by 5 pm, recording 98.21 percent voting.
Fourteen MPs did not vote which included two from BJP, two from INC, two from IUML, four from TMC, one from NCP, one from PMK and two Independent.
Two BJP leaders – Sanwarlal Jat and Vijay Goel – are hospitalised and could not vote, BJP leaders said.
I Am 'Non-Party Man', Confident of Getting MP's Support: Naidu
Naidu today said he is now a "non-party man" and exuded confidence in getting support from Members of Parliament (MPs) casting their vote to elect the Vice-President of the country.
"There is no my party or your party. Now I am a non-party man. Majority of political parties in India are supporting my candidature. I am confident that they will all vote in the election," he told reporters here.
Naidu said he is known to all his MPs in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. "That is why I am not campaigning also or canvassing also. I have written a polite letter to everybody.The response is very good. People are appreciative of my letter. I am confident they will all support me," he said.
Sachin, Rekha, Dimple Yadav Cast Their Votes
Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha, Hema Malini and Dimple Yadav have cast their votes.
Sonia Gandhi Casts Her Vote
Congress president Sonia Gandhi cast her vote. She was accompanied by Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Unlike NDA's candidate Venkaiah Naidu, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha, Gopalkrishna is not a member of either of House of Parliament, and hence cannot vote in the election. He is being supported by 19 parties, including the JDU and the AAP.
"We Will Miss Him", Parrikar Says About Naidu
Speaking of his former colleague in the Modi cabinet, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Naidu would be missed in the Cabinet, “but you will see more in action in another place".
MPs Arrive to Cast Their Votes
MPs have begun arriving at the Parliament to cast their ballots.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu, who is a member from Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, a Lok Sabha member, were among the first to cast their ballot.
Five Reasons NDA Picked Venkaiah Naidu For Vice President
In the 70s, when BJP’s precursor Jana Sangh was a marginal player with little clout in the south, a young party worker kept himself busy by putting up posters of stalwarts such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu has come a long way since those days of political obscurity.
The NDA’s candidate for Vice President comes from a humble agricultural family of Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district.
A Fight Based on Constitutional Principles, Says Gopal Gandhi
Speaking ahead of the voting, Oppostion’s pick Gopalkrishna Gandhi said Venkaiah Naidu is "an experienced person” and added that there’s no competition between them, "only technically there is”.
Gandhi said the most important issue before the country is of social cohesion and growing intolerance.
"There is a growing intolerance amongst people. And it is not their own intolerance because our people are a very tolerant people. Our people do not want any friction. They want to live in peace and harmony," he said.
I Have Written a Polite Letter to Everybody, Says Naidu
Speaking to reporters ahead of the voting at 10 am, NDA’s pick Venkaiah Naidu called himself a “non-party man” and said that he isn’t contesting against anybody.
He added that he was known to all the members of Parliament and didn’t need to campaign. "I have written a polite letter to everybody, and the response is very good. I’m confident that they all will support me.
16 NDA MPs Get 'Dummy Vote' Wrong
A night before the Vice Presidential elections, members of the NDA attended a workshop on “how to vote”, followed by a “dummy vote”, to leave no room for any errors or invalid votes. Sixteen MPs who voted incorrectly, were given a second chance, according to NDTV. They were cautioned to be careful during the actual vote today.
MPs had cast 21 invalid votes in the Presidential elections last month, most of them were from the BJP. At a legislative meet earlier this week, BJP President Amit Shah questioned how so many MPs could get a simple vote wrong.
Know Your Candidates
Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the Oppn’s Pick
He is a man who has donned many hats in the past – of a former administrator, a diplomat and a governor. That makes Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, more than just a legacy name.
Read more about Gopalkrishna Gandhi here.
Venkaiah Naidu, NDA’s Pick
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu entered the RSS by accident – his links began in childhood when he chanced upon a 'shakha' while playing. Within some decades, he was the BJP's best known leader from southern India, also famous for witty one-liners.
Read more about Venkaiah Naidu here.
How Is the Vice President of India Elected?
Like the President of India, the Vice-President is also not directly elected by people. He is elected directly by the representatives of the people, ie: Members of Parliament (MPs) from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Even nominated MPs from both the Houses are eligible to vote in this election.
Read more here.
Despite Breaking Grand Alliance, Nitish Likely to Support Oppn's Pick
The BJD and the JD(U) which had supported NDA nominee Ramnath Kovind for the post of president, have decided to back Opposition nominee Gandhi.
Though the JD(U) has broken ties with the 'Mahagathbandhan' and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in Bihar, it has decided to vote for Gandhi.
Total Strength of the Houses and Other Details
The electoral college which elects the vice president consists of elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
The total strength of the two Houses is 790, but there are two vacancies in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.
In the 545-member Lok Sabha, the BJP has 281 members. The NDA, led by the BJP, has 338 members.
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