India to get new Vice President today: Margaret Alva not a tough challenge for Jagdeep Dhankhar

More than a week after India got its first tribal woman President with Droupadi Murmu taking charge, the country is set to get its new Vice President on Saturday.

Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has served previously as Bengal’s governor, is backed by the ruling NDA. He is facing Margaret Alva, backed by the opposition. Alva, however, won’t be a tough challenge for Jagdeep Dhankhar as numbers favour him. The votes will be counted later in the day.

Here are ten points on the Vice Presidential Elections 2022:

1. Members of both the houses of Parliament are set to vote in the vice presidential elections on Saturday. The voting will be held between 10 am and 5 pm and counting of votes will take place later in the day.

2. The NDA alone has 394 of 780 total votes in the electoral college of VP elections, which is above the halfway mark of 391. The tally is said to be passing the 500-mark with allies and supporting parties included. This sets the path for a smooth win for Dhankhar.

3. Ruptures in the opposition yet again have further hurt Margaret Alva’s chances. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress – which is one of the largest opposition parties in Rajya Sabha – has said it would abstain from voting.

4. Dhankhar, who has served as Bengal’s governor, had his tenure marked with constant sparring with Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress.

5. After supporting Murmu in the Presidential polls, Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSRCP, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party BSP, and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal are again backing the NDA candidate.

6. On the eve of the VP polls, Alva in a tweet wrote: “MPs fight great electoral battles to gain entry to the Temple of Democracy – our Parliament. Each of them is a hero, worthy of our respect. Each a unique voice, that deserves to be heard. I believe when these powerful voices are given expression, great things can be achieved. (sic)”

7. “I have been a member of both houses of Parlament,” said the 5-time MP in a video message, adding: “If Parliament is to function effectively, MPs, independent of their parties, must find ways to rebuild trust and restore broken communication amongst each other. In the end, it is the MPs who determine the character of our Parliament.”

8. Meanwhile, Dhankhar held a series of courtesy meetings ahead of the crucial polls with several MPs, including Gautam Gambhir.

9. India’s 14th Vice President will take oath on August 14, a day after current VP Venkaiah Naidu’s term ends.

10. The presidential and vice presidential elections and building a consensus of candidates have also served as a test of opposition unity ahead of the critical 2024 polls.