Proud to be having 'Kisan Putra' Vice President: PM Modi on Dhankhar's victory in VP polls

New Delhi, Aug 06: After personally meeting and greeting the vice president-elect Jagdeep Dhankhar at his residence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took Twitter to congratulate him on his victory against Opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the Vice Presidential polls held on Saturday.

"I thank all those MPs who have voted for Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji. At a time when India marks Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, we are proud to be having a Kisan Putra Vice President who has excellent legal knowledge and intellectual prowess," PM Modi tweeted.

Prior to posting the congratulatory message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met vice president-elect Jagdeep Dhankhar to congratulate him on his win. BJP president J P Nadda also met Dhankhar at the residence of Union minister Pralhad Joshi.

The meetings came soon after Dhankhar was declared winner in the vice presidential election with 528 votes in his favour against 182 bagged by joint opposition candidate Margaret Alva.

Union Ministers like Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and many others personally greeted the vice president-elect.

Dhankhar, 71, will succeed M Venkaiah Naidu who demits office August 10. The returning officer of the vice presidential election said of the total 780 electors, 725 cast their ballots but 15 votes were found to be invalid.

The turnout was 92.94 per cent, he said, adding that a candidate needed 356 votes to get elected. Of all the valid votes, Dhankhar, a former governor of West Bengal, secured 528 votes while 80-year-old Alva got 182, secured 74.36 per cent. He has the highest winning margin in the last six vice presidential elections held since 1997.