New Delhi, Aug 5
National Democratic Alliance nominee M. Venkaiah Naidu's election as the new Vice President of India shattered two records -- the 771 votes polled were the highest so far for the constitutional post and his victory margin was more than the votes polled by combined opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Informed sources said the total 771 votes polled were the highest ever for a Vice Presidential election as the previous best was 759 in 2002 when Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was the NDA nominee.
The sources said Naidu's victory margin of 272 is the highest in the last three decades and more than the 244 votes polled by Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Of the total 790 votes in the Vice President's election, there are two vacancies each in the Lok Sabha (due to the death of Vinod Khanna and countermanding of the election to Anantnag) and in the Rajya Sabha (on account of the resignation of Mayawati and the death of P. Govardhan Reddy).
Of the remaining 786 voters, 771 exercised their franchise. Naidu got 67 per cent of the votes polled (516). While 11 votes were declared invalid, 15 MPs did not vote -- four of Trinamool Congress, three of the Bharatiya Janata Party, two each of the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League, one each of the Nationalist Congress Party and PMK, one nominated member, and one Independent member of the Lok Sabha.
The sources said Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1987 and K.R. Narayanan in 1992 were virtually elected unopposed as Vice Presidents.
In the 1997 election, Krishna Kant won by a margin of 168 votes and Shekhawat by 149 in the subsequent election.
Outgoing Vice President Hamid Ansari's victory margins were 233 and 252 in two successive elections.
The sources said 522 MPs voted for Ram Nath Kovind in the Presidential election on July 17, bagging 768 ballots with Janata Dal-United and Biju Janata Dal support. Naidu got 516 votes even as these two parties backed Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
According to BJP sources, 20 MPs cross-voted in favour of Naidu. They said the BJP was expecting 512 votes from the NDA and other supporting parties. BJP's Vijay Goel and Sanwarlal Jat could not vote as they are hospitalised while there is a ban on voting by Chedi Paswan. A. Ramdoss of the PMK did not vote.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi congratulates Naidu, says got votes beyond calculations
Opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi congratulated his NDA rival nominee M. Venkaiah Naidu who was elected India's new Vice President on Saturday.
"I congratulate him on his victory and wish him all the best in his new office of Vice President of all the sections of India," he said, but noted that the number of votes he got was beyond certain calculations.
Thanking the MPs who had voted for him, he said: "I believe the number that has voted for me is beyond the expectations of certain calculations. I thank all of them very deeply and sincerely. They represent different political persuasions, they come from different parts of India.
"And they had come together to vote for what they thought was the national good, which is affirmation of the right to free thought, to free speech, the right to hold a different opinion and the duty to serve cause of pluralism and secularism in India," he said.
Gandhi also expressed his gratitude to political parties and their leaders who nominated and supported him.
He said the MPs have a great responsibility and hoped they discharge it in the tradition of great parliamentarians.
"Finally, I will like to say to all MPs across the party divide, across the divide of this vote, I would like to say all of them - honourable ladies and gentlemen, you carry a great responsibility and a great weight on your shoulders. And may you discharge your responsibilities in the tradition of the great parliamentarians of our country (with) diligence and courag"," he said.
Gandhi said the word of conscience and the word of constitution should be treated as the guide.
He said there were two big victories from the contest - one of Naidu, another of free speech.
"In the end, I would like to say that in this election there have been two big victories. First the clear victory of Venkaiah Naidu Garu, who has got majority and who will be our next VicePresident, and the second victory is of the awareness in the country, its curiosity due to which free thinking and free speech has stayed safe. This is victory of the ballot, this is also victory of free speech."
Gandhi, who was candidate of Congress and some major opposition parties, got 244 votes compared to 516 received by Naidu.
photo: Returning Officer of the Vice-Presidential Election-2017 and Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha Shumsher K. Sheriff presents the declaration of result for the election for the Vice President of India to the Vice President-elect M Venkaiah Naidu, in New Delhi on Aug 5, 2017. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
