Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 7 (ANI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday congratulated former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as he was elected as the Vice President on Saturday.
Recently, on August 3, Mayawati announced that her party will back the NDA’s Vice-Presidential nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar in the election.
“Hearty congratulations and best wishes for the glorious victory of Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar on the post of Vice President of the country. The BSP had given his support keeping in mind the wider public interest and his movement. It is expected that they will definitely try their best to fulfil their constitutional responsibilities,” tweeted Mayawati today morning.
Jagdeep Dhankhar, former Bengal Governor, was elected as the Vice President on Saturday. He bested the Opposition’s Margaret Alva to emerge a winner.
The BJP-led NDA candidate won the election comfortably with 528 votes against Alva’s 182, the voting for which took place earlier in the day. The Vice President is also the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Dhankhar secured 74.36 per cent. He has the highest winning margin in the last six vice presidential elections held since 1997.
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 per cent, he said, adding that a candidate needed 356 votes to get elected.
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. As many as 55 MPs did not vote in the vice presidential election held from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday.
Margaret Alva congratulated Mr Dhankhar on the win. She also thanked leaders of the Opposition and MPs from across parties who voted for her in this election. “This election is over.
The battle for protecting our Constitution, strengthening our democracy and restoring the dignity of Parliament, will continue,” she posted on Twitter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with BJP chief JP Nadda, went to congratulate Dhankhar on his election as the Vice President. (ANI)