Jagdeep Dhankhar is now India's 14th Vice President

Former West Bengal governor and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar swept the vote bank and coasted to victory to become the 14th Vice President of India on Saturday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a clear majority in the electoral college comprising MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Jagdeep Dhankhar received 528 votes, defeating joint opposition candidate Margaret Alva, who got 182



votes. Fifteen votes were declared invalid.

The electoral college in the vice presidential poll comprises 788 members of both Houses of Parliament.

Jagdeep Dhankar went on to become the Governor of West Bengal. He is married to Sudesh Dhankhar.

Jagdeep Dhankar belongs to the Jat community, a politically important caste that influences votes in a number of north Indian states.