NDA nominee M Venkaiah Naidu was on Saturday elected the next Vice President of India, defeating opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi by a margin of 272 votes. Naidu secured 516 votes while Gandhi got 244 votes. Of the 771 votes polled, 11 votes were declared invalid.
"As M Venkaiah Naidu secured greater than the requisite quota of votes, I declare him as duly elected to the office of the Vice President of India," Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and Returning Officer, Shumsher K Sheriff, told reporters here.
Naidu will be the 13th person to hold the second highest Constitutional post.
The strength of the electoral college comprising both elected and nominated MPs of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha is 790. While there are two vacancies in the LS, three seats are vacant in the RS also. One BJP Lok Sabha MP is barred from voting following a judicial pronouncement.
Highlights:
* Coming from an agricultural background, I never imagined I would be here. Agriculture has no proper voice in Indian polity. I am very humbled. I am also thankful to the Prime Minister and all party leaders for their support. I will seek to utilise the vice presidential institution to strengthen the hands of the President and secondly uphold the dignity of the Upper House: Venkaiah Naidu: India's Vice President-elect
* I am confident Venkaiah Naidu will serve nation as a diligent & dedicated Vice President, committed to the the goal of nation building: PM Modi
* I congratulate Venkaiah Naidu on his victory, wish him all the best for his new office. I thank those who voted for me. I was expecting handsome performance by united vote of opposition parties and I am more than satisfied: Gopalkrishna Gandhi
* Venkaiah Naidu gets 516 votes whereas Opposition nominee Gopalkrishna Gandhi bagged 244 votes
* Venkaiah Naidu elected new Vice President of India
* 11 votes declared invalid
* NDA's candidate Venkaiah Naidu leads in counting, got more than 500 votes.
* Counting for Vice Presidential Election to begin at 6 pm, result at 7 pm
* Voting for Vice Presidential Election ends. Total 771 out of 785 votes polled, 98.21% poll percentage recorded.
3pm: 96.94 per cent polling recorded till 3pm, informs Assistant Returning Officer Mukul Pandey
* 761 out of 785 votes polled till 3pm, reports ANI
* Everybody loves Venkaiah Naidu a lot, he is most capable, he knows entire Parliament, the whole politics: Hema Malini
01:10pm - Bollywood actors Rekha, Hema Malini, SP MP Dimple Yadav cast their votes in vice-presidential election
1pm: 90.83 per cent voting till 1 pm in vice presidential election
12.47pm - Not only here but whenever voting takes place, every citizen should vote, says Tendulkar
12.45pm - Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar arrives in Parliament to cast his vote. Not only here but whenever voting takes place, every citizen should vote, says Tendulkar.
12:05pm - Former PM Manmohan Singh, former deputy PM Lal Krishna Advani cast their vote in vice-presidential election
12:00pm - Union minister Nitin Gadkari, boxer Mary Kom cast their vote in Parliament
1.50am - Congress party president Sonia Gandhi casts her vote at Parliament
11:45am - Congress vice-President Rahul Gandhi and party MPs Jyotiraditya Scindia, Deepender Singh Hooda, Sushmita Dev cast their votes
10:55am - "I think we will miss him (Venkaiah Naidu) in one place, but you will see more action in another place," says Manohar Parrikar
10.50am - There are three queues for voting at Parliament -- one each for Lok Sabha MPs, Rajya Sabha MPs and women MPs.
10.15 am - "NDA's candidate is an experienced person. There is no competition as such between us. It is a fight based on constitutional principles, where I maintained complete civility and same has been done from other side too," says Opposition candidate Gopal Krishna Gandhi
10.13am - We will win in a massive way, Venkaiah ji is a good human being: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister
10.10am - Gujarat Congress MLAs leave Eagleton resort to cast their vote in vice-presidential election
10:05am – NDA candidate M Venkaiah Naidu arrives in Parliament to cast his vote.
10:02am – PM Modi arrives to cast his vote in Vice-Presidential election
10.00am - Voting begins for 2017 Vice-Presidential election
9.31am - "I am going to cast my vote. I am a non-party man. I am not contesting against any individual or party. I'm contesting for the post of Vice President of India,” says Venkaiah Naidu.
