Jagdeep Dhankhar won Vice-Presidential poll with highest victory margin since 1997 - Details here

New Delhi: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and former West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar made a landslide victory in the Vice President polls on Saturday (August 7, 2022) and is ready to swear in for the position on August 11. Dhankhar is the new Vice President of India after defeating Opposition candidate Margaret Alva by 346 votes. 

The former Bengal Governor garnered 528 votes, which is 72.8% of the total votes, against Margaret Alva who got 182 votes. Dhankhar's victory clearly signals the supremacy of PM Modi-led BJP in Parliament. Now, BJP holds all the key positions from President, Vice President to Lok Sabha Speaker.

According to media reports, Jagdeep Dhankhar’s victory margin by securing 72.8% of the 725 valid votes cast during the Vice President polls is the highest margin in the last six vice-presidential polls since 1997. 

It may be noted that Dhankhar’s performance in the latest polls outshined Naidu's 2017 performance by 2%. Venkaiah Naidu won with 67.89% votes of the total 760 valid votes in the 2017 V-P polls. 

However, KR Narayanan still tops the list of recording highest victory margin by securing 700 of the 701 votes cast in 1992. 

About the new Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar: 

Jagdeep Dhankhar was born in Kithana Village, Rajasthan in 1951. Grown up in a family of farmers. Dhankhar started his career as a lawyer and has practised in the Supreme Court and the Rajasthan High Court. He was designated a senior advocate in 1990, a year after he entered active politics.

The former West Bengal governor joined the Congress when PV Narasimha Rao became the prime minister. But with the rise of Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan, he changed ships to the BJP.