Jagdeep Dhankhar wins VP poll; defeats Margaret Alva by huge margin

Announcing the results, Returning Officer for Vice Presidential polls and Secretary General of Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh said that as many as 725 MPs cast their ballot in the Vice Presidential poll which is 92.94 pc of the total votes. He said that 15 votes were declared invalid.

"The total submission to get a candidate elected is determined by dividing the total number of first preference votes secured by both candidates by two and then adding one to the quotient. The total necessary for being elected Vice President of India is 352 votes. On the basis of counting Jagdeep Dhankhar secured 528 first preference votes, and Margaret Alva secured 182 votes," he said.

"Therefore, I Utpal Kumar Singh, the Returning Officer for Vice Presidential election 2022 hereby declare Jagdeep Dhankhar has been duly elected to the office of Vice President of India," he added mentioning relevant rules.

AITC MPs Shishir Adhikari and Dibyendu Adhikari defied the party's call to abstain from polling and cast their votes. The rest of the 34 AITC MPs did not cast their votes.

BJP leaders Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dhotre did not vote due to health reasons.

The Electoral College consisted of 233 elected members of Rajya Sabha, 12 nominated members of Rajya Sabha, and 543 elected members of Lok Sabha, adding up to 788 members.

However, out of 788, 725 MPs polled their votes for the Vice Presidential election. Eight seats are vacant in Rajya Sabha.

The polling to elect the new Vice-President of India began at 10 am at Parliament House in New Delhi and concluded at 5 pm.

The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

Jagdeep Dhankhar will take oath on August 14, a day after the present Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu's term expires.

The Vice President is mandated by the constitution to act as the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.

(With UNI inputs)