Venkaiah Naidu elected as 13th vice president

M Venakaiah Naidu was on Saturday elected as the 13th Vice President of India securing more than two-third majority over the joint opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
 
In an election that witnessed massive cross-voting, Naidu secured 516 votes, while Gandhi could manage only 244. As many as 14 MPs did not turn up for voting of which 12 were expected to vote for Gandhi. Eleven votes were found to be invalid.
 
Naidu was declared elected as the 13th Vice President of India by the Returning Officer Shumsher Sheriff after an hour-long counting process taken up soon after the close of election.
 
Vice President Hamid Ansari will complete his tenure on August 10 and Naidu will be sworn-in on August 11.
 
Soon after his election, Naidu said as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, he would steer the functioning of the House “without fear or favour” and uphold its dignity and decorum with the cooperation of all members by acting in accordance with the rules and conventions of the House.
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Naidu on his election. He said he was confident that Naidu “will serve the nation as a diligent and dedicated Vice President, committed to the goal of nation building.”
 
Gandhi, who was present at the counting centre congratulated Naidu on his election. “I wish him all the best,” he said.
 
Gandhi thanked all the parties that supported him and said that the voting figures showed that the numbers that voted for him were “beyond expectations”.
 
He said the fight in the election was for free thought, free speech, pluralism and secularism.
 
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad also congratulated Naidu and said he was sure that he would give time and opportunities to all leaders and parties to express their views in the way the outgoing Chairman Hamid Ansari did.
 
Congress President Sonia Gandhi also congratulated Naidu on his election and offered her party's support in further strengthening the Upper House for effective scrutiny of legislations and government policies.
 
Azad said the 244 votes secured by Gandhi were 19 more than the opposition candidate had polled in the Parliamentary segment of the presidential election.
 
A record 771 or 98.2% voters exercised their franchise in the 15th election for vice president. The previous best was 759 in 2002 when BJP candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was elected as the 11th Vice President.
 
Naidu's victory margin of 272 is the highest in the last 30 years in a contest held for electing vice president. Shanker Dayal Sharma (1987) and K R Narayanan (1992) were virtually elected unopposed.
 
According to BJP sources, at least 20 lawmaker cross-voted in favour of Naidu.
 
BJP had expected 502 votes from NDA and other supporting parties. Out of these Union Ministers Vijay Goel and Sanwarlal Jat could not vote as they were unwell and hospitalised.
 
The 14 MPs that did not vote include four of the Trinamool Congress, two each of the BJP, Congress and IUML, one each from NCP, PMK, Nominated and Independent.