Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is the NDA's Vice President candidate

New Delhi, July 16: Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is the NDA's candidate for the post of the Vice President of India, BJP National President JP Nadda announced on Saturday.

"NDA's candidate for the post of Vice President of India to be Jagdeep Dhankhar. He is a 'kisan putra' (son of farmer) who established himself as 'people's governor'," Nadda said at a press meet.

The name was announced after the BJP parliamentary board meeting which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with other leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him 'Kisan Putra' who is known for his humility. "Kisan Putra Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji is known for his humility. He brings with him an illustrious legal, legislative and gubernatorial career. He has always worked for the well-being of farmers, youth, women and the marginalised. Glad that he will be our VP candidate," the PM tweeted.

Further, he stated that the NDA Vice President candidate is well-versed with legislative affairs. "Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has excellent knowledge of our Constitution. He is also well-versed with legislative affairs. I am sure that he will be an outstanding Chair in the Rajya Sabha & guide the proceedings of the House with the aim of furthering national progress," PM Modi tweeted shortly after announcing the Bengal Governor's name as the NDA's Vice President nominee.

BJP leaders noted that Dhankhar has been in public life for more than three decades, and his life story reflects the spirit of new India: "overcoming innumerable social and economic hurdles and achieving one's goals".

Dhankhar has been in the limelight since becoming governor of West Bengal in July, 2019 over frequent run-ins with the Mamata Banerjee government.

A lawyer by profession, Jagdeep Dhankhar forayed into politics in 1989 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan that same year and became a Union Minister in 1990.

In 2017, the party had named the then Cabinet minister M Venkaiah Naidu, a former BJP president and veteran parliamentarian, as its Vice President candidate. Naidu had won the election comfortably to occupy the second highest constitutional post of the country.

Naidu's current term ends on August 10. The BJP is again in a strong position to ensure the victory of its candidate.

The electoral college for picking the next vice president, who is also the ex-officio Rajya Sabha chairperson, comprises members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Out of Parliament's current strength of 780, the BJP alone has 394 MPs, more than the majority mark of 390.

The last date for filing nomination papers for the poll is July 19 and the election is scheduled for August 6