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Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar is BJP's choice for Vice President
On Saturday, the parliamentary board of the BJP chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in the capital to take a decision on the Vice Presidential nominee.
West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar was declared as the NDA’s nominee for the Vice Presidential election, which will be held on August 6. The last date for filing nomination is July 19. On Saturday, the parliamentary board of the BJP chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in the capital to take a decision on the Vice Presidential nominee.
BJP president JP Nadda made the announcement after a meeting of the parliamentary board. Born in Jhunjhunu, Dhankar graduated from the Rajasthan University. “He is a first generation professional. He was a lawyer who rose to great heights and began practising in the Supreme Court as well,” Nadda said.
“Dhankar is known as the people’s governor …the NDA decided that the son of a farmer who has administrative experience will be our nominee,” Nadda added
The tenure of the incumbent Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will end on August 10. His successor will be sworn in on August 11.
The Vice President hold the second-highest constitutional office in the country and also serves as the chairperson of the Council of States or the Rajya Sabha. According to rules, if a Vice President acts as or discharges the functions of the President, she or he does not perform the duties of the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and is not entitled to any salary or allowance payable to the chairperson.
The VP is indirectly elected by an electoral college by proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote and the voting is held by a secret ballot. The electoral college consist of both elected and nominated members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Members are not bound by a party whip to vote for a particular candidate.
The NDA is in a comfortable position to win the election as it has crossed the halfway mark required to win. Of the 780 lawmakers in Parliament, BJP alone has 394 MPs, four more than the halfway mark of 390.
