Kochi: Jagdeep Dhankar, fielded by the ruling NDA, was today elected the 14th Vice President of the country.
Dhankar secured 346 votes against Opposition candidate Margaret Alva. He bagged 528 votes out of 725 cast. While 15 were invalid. Alva got 182 votes.
Voting began at 10 am and concluded at 5 pm. Two BJP MPs could not vote as they were indisposed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast the first vote. Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members elect the Vice President.
Dhankar became Governor of West Bengal on July 30, 2019.
Dhankar was born into a farmers’ family in Rajasthan on May 18, 1951. He came up with the hard way to become a successful lawyer in the Rajasthan High Court and Supreme Court.
He was elected to Parliament in 1989 as a Janata Dal candidate. He became a Union Minister in 1990. Later, he joined Congress. From 1993 to 98 he was an MLA in Rajasthan. He joined the BJP in 2003.
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