Hamid Ansari elected Vice-President

New Delhi, Aug 10: The ruling UPA-Left's candidate Hamid Ansari today won the Vice Presidential polls by defeating his nearest rival Najma Heptullah of the opposition NDA by more than 233 votes.

Ansari secured 455 votes, thirty more than expected, from the members of the Parliament, who constitute the Vice Presidential Electoral College.

Heptullah, who was closely associated with the Congress party for over three decades, before joining the BJP ahead of the 2004 general elections managed to secure 222 votes.

United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) or the Third Front candidate, Rashid Masood secured the least votes in the triangular contest.

Ansari will succeed Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on August 18 as country's 13th Vice President.

Ansari, a former diplomat and chairman of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), is known for his role in ensuring compensation to victims of the Gujarat riots and pushing for a complete re-look into the relief and rehabilitation for riot victims since 1984.

ANI
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