Vice Presidential election 2017: With an overall voting of 98.21 per cent to elect the next Vice President of India, the Election Commission has concluded the polling at 5 pm. Both Venkaiah Naidu and Gopalkrishna Gandhi look affirmative to bag the post of ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. Members of Parliament on Saturday morning started casting their votes to elect India’s next Vice-President. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was amongst the first few members who were reportedly standing in que before the voting started. The voting began at 10 am Saturday and will go on till 5 pm in the evening. The results are likely to be announced by 7 pm. Several other MPs from both factions including Rahul Gandhi, Manohar Parrikar, Yogi Adityanath, Prakash Javadekar and others have already cast their votes and the voting is underway.

Naidu on Friday sought support from all parliamentarians. “I would like to assure that on being elected as the vice-president, it shall be my endeavour to defend and uphold the ideals that propelled the freedom struggle, the spirit and the principles of the Constitution of India, including justice, liberty, equality and fraternity and the cherished values of national unity and integration,” Naidu in a letter to MPs.

See Pics: Vice Presidential election 2017: PM Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi cast votes; Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha too make appearances

Here are the live updates of Vice Presidential election 2017:

10.45 pm:  “It’s an honour for me to become vice-president from a family of an ordinary farmer. This speaks for the beauty & strength of our democracy,”Naidu said earlier.

10.30 pm: Naidu got 516 votes out of total 771 votes cast, while Gandhi could manage 244 votes. Of the total 771 votes polled, 11 were found to be invalid.

10.15 pm: “I promise to uphold the Constitution and the high standards set by my esteemed predecessors,” Naidu said in series of tweets.

10.00 pm: Venkaiah Naiduji, My hearty congratulations … you richly deserve this most honourable position … God bless, tweets Rajinikanth

9.45 pm: EAM Sushma Swaraj met VicePresident elect Venkaiah Naidu at his residence after he won the election.

9.25 pm: We are feeling very very happy and proud of him: Sushma, Venkaiah Naidu’s grand daughter on his win.

Heartfelt congratulation to Venkaiah Naidu. He is an experienced politician, wish him great success: AP CM Chandrababu Naidu

9.05 pm: Venkaiah Naidu Tweets: I thank Sh Hamid Ansari ji for his kind wishes. I will try to continue the legacy of this prestigious institution for development of nation.

09.00 pm: Venkaiah Naidu Tweets: I thank President Sh Ramnath Kovind for his kind wishes.

08.55 pm: Venkaiah Naidu Tweets: I thank Sh Hamid Ansari ji for his kind wishes. I will try to continue the legacy of this prestigious institution for development of nation

8.50 pm: “I am grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, all the constituents of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and all other non-NDA parties who supported me,”Naidu said.

8.45 pm: Naidu added that he is a non-party man and will work towards upholding the constitution.

8.37 pm: “It’s an honour for me to become Vice President from a family of an ordinary farmer. This Speaks for the beauty & strength of our democracy,” tweets Venkaiah Naidu

8.32 pm: “I promise to uphold the Constitution and the high standards set by my esteemed predecessors,” tweets Venkaiah Naidu.

8.28 pm: “With all humility, I express my gratitude to every MP who supported my candidature cutting across party lines,” tweets Venkaiah Naidu.

8.22 pm: He has been closely associated with Chhattisgarh,knew each party worker. Congratulate Venkaiah Naidu Ji for win: Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh

8.17 pm: PM Modi & BJP President Amit Shah felicitate Vice President elect #VenkaiahNaidu on winning election.

8.120 pm: Honor for me to become VP from a family of an ordinary farmer.This speaks for the beauty and strength of our democracy, tweets #VenkaiahNaidu

8.07 pm: Congratulate Shri Venkaiah Naidu on his election as VP of India. I wish him success in future endeavors, tweets HM Rajnath Singh

08.00 pm: PM Narendra Modi arrives at Venkaiah Naidu’s residence.

07: 55 PM: A strong message was sent to the people of this country through victory of Venkaiah Naidu: Republic TV quoted Sambit Patra saying.

Watch – Here is what Dr Patra said:

07: 52 PM: Congratulations to Vice-President Elect M Venkaiah Naidu ji. We are confident his leadership would further enrich the Office of VP: Smriti Irani wrote on Twitter.

07: 50 PM: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hails Venkaiah Naidu’s win. He called it a great day for the Indian democracy, reported CNN-News 18.

07: 47 PM: With all humility,express gratitude to every MP who supported my candidature cutting across party lines, tweets Vice President elect V Naidu. “I promise to uphold the Constitution and the high standards set by my esteemed predecessors,” he wrote further.

07: 45 PM: Here are some images from VenkaiahNaidu’s residence in Delhi after winning the Presidential election.

(Image: ANI)

07: 40 PM: Congratulating the VP elect, BJP President took to Twitter and said, “Heartiest congratulations to Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu ji on winning the Vice-Presidential poll.” He further wrote: “The journey of Naidu ji, a farmer’ son, to the office of Vice President is the victory of every small farmer contributing to nations growth.”

07: 39 PM: Congratulate Venkaiah Naidu ji on being elected VP of India. My best wishes for success in your new responsibilities, tweets Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.

07: 36 PM: Celebrations at Vice President elect Venkaiah Naidu’s native village Chavatapalem in Nellore district in Andhara Pradesh.

07: 34 PM: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan took to Twitter and congratulated Venkaiah Naidu for becoming the next Vice President of India. He wrote: “Congratulations Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu Ji for being elected as the Vice President of India. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure.”

Watch – Visuals from Venkaiah Naidu’s residence:

07: 32 PM: Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore while addressing the media said that India is undergoing the change. He added that this change is not just in terms of development. Rathore said Venkaiah Naidu is a very warm person and this win shows his popularity as well.

ALSO READ | Vice Presidential Election 2017: Here is party wise list of 14 MPs who were absent from voting

07: 31 PM: Even the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took to Twitter and congratulated Venkaiah Naidu for bagging the Vice Presidential election.

Watch – PM Narendra Modi cogratulates Venkaiah Naidu for becoming the next Vice President of India:

07: 30 PM: “India has a new Vice President. The Rajya Sabha a new Chairman (from Aug 11). Warmest good wishes @MVenkaiahNaidu Ji,” tweets TMC’s Derek O’Brien.

07: 29 PM: Congratulate Venkaiah Naidu Ji, our next VP; wish him well. In tradition of democracy, Gopalkrishna Gandhi Ji fought with dignity for certain ideals: WB CM Mamata Banerjee.

07: 27 PM: Apart from being the 13th President of India, Venkaiah Naidu is also the second vice-president from BJP after Bahiron Singh Shekhawat (2002-2007).

Watch- How Opposition leaders react after Venkaiah Naidu wins

07: 25 PM:  I am confident Venkaiah Naidu will serve nation as a diligent and dedicated Vice President, committed to the the goal of nation building: PM Narendra Modi added further.

07: 23 PM: As per Times Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will shortly arrive at Venkaiah Naidu’s residence to meet the newly elected Vice-President of India. The oath taking ceremony will take place on August 11.

07: 20 PM: Minutes after result of the much awaited Presidential election was announced, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and congratulated Venkaiah Naidu. He wrote: “Congratulations to @MVenkaiahNaidu Garu on being elected India’s Vice President. My best wishes for a fruitful & motivating tenure.”

07: 16 PM: Congratulate Venkaiah Naidu Garu on his victory, wish him all the best for his new office, Gopalkrishna Gandhi added further.

07: 15 PM: Gopalkrishna Gandhi responds to loss, says there were two big wins in this election. This election taught us that free speech still prevails in India and the victory is dedicated to the people of India. Gandhi added that he is more than satisfied with what he got.

07: 10 PM: Opposition will never compromise on ideology whether we face defeat or victory. Thank all those who voted against NDA, said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad after the Presidential election results were announced.

Watch – What  Ghulam Nabi Azad said after the results were announced:

07: 00 PM: NDA candidate Venkaiah Naidu defeats Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Naidu bagged a total of 516 votes, whereas Gandhi managed to bag only 244 votes. Venkaiah Naidu is the next Vice President of India.

Watch – The announcement made by the EC official stating the final results:

06: 55 PM: Unlike the President, the Vice-President is not allotted any special residential privileges while in office.

06: 50 PM: According to Time Now, NDA candidate Venkaiah Naidu so far is leading with 117 votes, whereas Gopalkrishna Gandhi has managed to bag only 25.

Watch – The latest counting updates on Vice Presidential elections 2017:

06: 40 PM: The Vice-President of India is selected through a secret ballot by the members of the Electoral College consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

06: 30 PM: According to Republic TV, NDA candidate Venkaiah Naidu is currently leading the contest in the Vice Presidential election 2017.

06: 20 PM: Other than this, Abdul Wahab and PK Kunhallikutty from IUML, Anu Agha and Naba Kumar Saraniya are Independent MPs who did not vote.

06: 15 PM: Among those who didn’t vote for the vice-presidential election are Vijay Goel & Sanwar Lal Jat from BJP; Kunal Ghosh, Tapas Paul, Pratima Mondal and Abhishek Banerjee from TMC.

Watch – Here are some earlier visuals of Congress president Sonia Gandhi casting her vote in Parliament for VicePresidential election:

06:00 PM: Counting to decide the next Vice President of India begins.

05: 45 PM: 14 MPs absent from voting – 2 from BJP, 2 from INC, 2 from IUML, 4 from TMC, 1 from NCP; 1 from PMK and 2 Independent, reported ANI.

05: 30 PM: A political veteran, Venkaiah Naidu was serving as a Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation as well as the Information and Broadcasting Minister.

05: 14 PM: Total 771 out of 785 votes polled, 98.21 poll percentage recorded. Counting for vice presidential election will begin at 6pm, PTI quotes assistant returning officer Mukul Pandey as saying.

05: 00 PM: Voting for Vice Presidential Election ends. Counting to begin soon.

04: 55 PM: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) which had supported NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind for the post of president, have decided to back opposition’s nominee Gopalkrishna Gandhi in the Vice Presidential election.

04: 50 PM: In order to make sure that no faux pas during the Vice Presidential election today, the NDA leaders on Friday conducted a ‘dummy vote’ workshop. The MPs were explained about how to vote using the special pen.

Watch – Here’s what Rajya Sabha MP Hema Malini had to say about NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate Venkaiah Naidu:

04: 45 PM: If Venkaiah Naidu wins, Tthis would be BJP’s second consecutive victory on two top constitutional posts over the last two months.

04: 30 PM: As off now, NDA has a totoal of 337 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 80 in the Rajya Sabha. The AIADMK, TRS and YSR Congress together have 67 MPs in both the houses. Therefore, Naidu has a total support of 484 of the total 790 MPs in both the houses apart from that of several nominated members, while he needs 395 to win.

ALSO READ | Venkaiah Naidu elected 13th Vice President of India; here is how Twitterati reacted

04: 15 PM: According to media reports, BJP also has the support of three non-NDA parties – AIADMK, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress.

03: 50 PM: 96.94 per cent voting till 3 pm in the ongoing Vice Presidential election, informed Assistant Returning Officer Mukul Pandey.

03: 45 PM: A brief bio of Opposition Vice Presidential candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

03: 30 PM: Here is all you need to know about the NDA Vice Presidential candidate Venkaiah Naidu.

03: 05 PM: 761 out of 785 votes polled till 3 PM for the ongoing Vice Presidential election 2017, reported ANI.

02: 30 PM: A person stands eligible for election as Vice-President of India only if he/she is a Indian citizen, is above 35 years and is qualified for election as a member of the Council of States states Article 66 of the Constitution of India.

02: 15 PM: With today’s result, it is highly being predicted that, for the first time in history, BJP is all set to occupy top three constitutional posts of the country.

01: 45 PM: 90.83 per cent voting till 1 pm in vice presidential elections informed Assistant Returning Officer Mukul Pandey.

01:40 PM: According to ANI, 713 votes have been polled till now.

01: 30 PM: Boxer Mary Kom, a nominated member of the Upper House, cast her vote in the Parliament for the ongoing Vice-Presidential election.

Watch – What Opposition candidate Gopalkrisha Gandhi has to say about the Vice Presidential election 2017:

01: 20 PM: Rajya Sabha MP and actress Rekha along with Lok Sabha MP Dimple Yadav (wife of former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav) were present at the Parliament to cast their vote for Vice-Presidential election, reported ANI.

01: 15 PM: Everybody loves him a lot, he is most capable, he knows entire Parliament and the whole politics, said Hema Malini, a BJP MP after, casting her vote.

01: 10 PM: Not only here but whenever voting takes place, every citizen should vote, Rajya Sabha MP and former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar told ANI after casting his vote.

(Image: PTI)

01: 01 PM: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh cast their vote in in Parliament to elect the next Vice President of India, reports DD News.

Watch – Here’s what Sumitra Mahajan has to say about the Vice Presidential election:

12: 55 PM: The term of incumbent Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who held the position for two consecutive terms, will come to an end on August 10.

12: 50 PM: Gopalkrishna Gandhi is being supported by as many as 19 parties, including the Janata Dal United (JDU) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), reported PTI.

12: 45 PM: Unlike NDA’s candidate Venkaiah Naidu, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha, Gopalkrishna Gandhi is not a member of either of House of Parliament, and hence cannot vote in the election.

Watch – This is what NDA candidate said about the Vice Presidential election:

12: 30 PM: The ongoing Vice-Presidential election is the 15th of such elections to the office. Prior to this elections were held in 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012.

12: 20 PM: Even other Congress parliamentarians including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Deepender Singh Hooda and Sushmita Dev have cast their vote.

(Image: ANI)

12: 10 PM: Congress president Sonia Gandhi cast her vote as voting continues to elect the next Vice President of India.

12: 05 PM: Former PM Manmohan Singh, Congress VP Rahul Gandhi, former deputy PM Lal Krishna Advani at Parliament have reached Parliament to cast their votes, reported ANI.

Watch this:

12: 00 PM: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has also reached the Parliament to cast his vote.

11: 55 AM: A day before elections several lawmakers from the ruling BJP and its allies attended a workshop on how to vote, following it up with a ‘dummy vote’ to ensure minimum invalid votes today, reported NDTV.

11: 50 AM: Taking to Twitter Shehzad Poonawalla‏, Maharashtra Congress leader expressed his take on the Vice Presidential election. He wrote: “Real shame that after the #VicePresidentialElection we may well have RSS occupying all three important constitutional posts in India.”

11:45 AM: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh took to Twitter and sought a fair voting to elect the next Vice President of India. He wrote: I request the honourable members to vote in support of country, not their respective parties.

11: 25 AM: Madhya Pradesh MP Shivraj Singh Chauhan took to Twitter to extend his best wishes to NDA candidate Venkaiah Naidu. He wrote: “My best wishes to Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu Ji for the #VicePresidentialElection.”

11:20 AM: Here’s an overall bio of NDA vice presidential candidate Venkaiah Naidu.

(Image: BJP/ Twitter)

11: 15 AM: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has cast his vote, reported Indian Express.

11:10 AM: Soon after casting his vote, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath took to Twitter and extended his good wishes for the NDA cadidate. He said congratulations to Venkaiah Naidu for Vice Presidential election and I believe that you will gain huge support emerge as winner.

11: 05 AM: Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal‏ took to Twitter and showered her best wishes to NDA candidate Venkaiah Naidu. She wrote: “Wishing success to @MVenkaiahNaidu ji for the  #VicePresidentialElection today.”

11:00 AM: Further while speaking to ANI, Parrikar said, “I think we will miss him (Venkaiah Naidu) in one place, but you will see more in action in another place.”

10: 55 AM: Ahead of his turn to cast vote for the Vice Presidential election, Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar met his colleagues and shared about the same on Twitter. He wrote: “In Delhi, to cast my vote for #VicePresidentialElection. Happy to meet colleagues.”

10: 50 AM: Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan is on his way to cast his vote for the Vice Presidential election, he informed on Twitter.

10: 45 AM: Looking at the number game in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, the BJP has 58 members, making it the single-largest party, while the Congress has 57.

10: 40 AM: Even the HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar along with Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who has not vacated his Rajya Sabha seat yet have also cast their votes.

10: 36 AM: According to Indian Express, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, MoS Home Kiren Rijiju, Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu have cast their votes.

10: 30 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several other MPs have cast their votes, reported ANI. Voting underway.

10: 25 AM: MPs will use special pens for marking their choice in the election and as per the Election Commission of India, counting of votes will start once the polling ends and the results will be declared by 7.00 pm.

Watch this video:

10: 20 AM: Can’t call it one sided as there were two candidates, Meiraji got a lot of votes but only one emerges as winner: Gopalkrishna Gandhi added further.

10: 15 AM: “It is a fight based on constitutional principles, where I maintained complete civility and same has been done from other side too,” Gopalkrishna Gandhi added further.

10:10 AM: Speaking to ANI, Opposition VP candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi said, “NDA’s candidate is an experienced person, no competition as such between us. There is only a technical competition.”

10:00 AM: Voting for the much-awaited Vice Presidential election begins. NDA candidate Venkaiah Naidu reached Parliament to cast vote.

MPs arriving in Parliament to cast their votes. (Image: ANI)

9:55 AM: “I have written a polite letter to everybody, response is very good.Confident that they all will support me,” the NDA candidate added.

9:50 AM: “I am a non-party man. Majority of parties in India are supporting my candidature, confident that they all will vote in election,” Naidu said

9:43 AM: Speaking to the reporters ahead of the polls, Venkaiah Naidu said voting is yet to take place and he will cast his vote soon, reported ANI. “Voting yet to take place, I am going to cast my vote,” Naidu said.

9:35 AM: Ahead of the poll, Gopal Krishna Gandhi said nothing is one sided about the poll, reported News X.

9:32 AM: It was learnt that the political parties won’t be able to issue any whip as the voting will be done through the secret ballot.

9:25 AM: The vice presidential election will not be a usual one as the MPs will be using special pens for marking their choice in the election.

9:20 AM: “A number of political parties and individuals having proposed my name for election as the country’s vice president, I am standing for that high office. I seek your consideration of my suitability for it,” he said.

9:15 AM: Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, used a simple means of campaign–a postcard–for an appeal to the Members of Parliament. He said that his resolve will be to serve people without fear or favour and that the Constitution will be his master and guide.

9:05 am: 790 MPs would be casting their vote for the 15th Vice President of India.

9:00 am: To win the Vice Presidential Elections, candidates need 395 votes.

Also Read| Vice-Presidential Election 2017: President, Vice President from same family, 2017-22 to be transformative, says PM Narendra Modi

8:50 am: Ahead of the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that having President and Vice-President from the same party is significant. “This is the first time that such an opportunity has arisen since Independence. There is strong possibility that we will be able to give a lot to the country in the next five years,” he said while addressing MPs of the NDA and other parties backing the ruling bloc’s vice presidential candidate Venkaiah Naidu.

8:40 am: Drawing a parallel between 1942-47 and 2017-22 elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of Vice Presidential elections had voiced hope that the next five years will witness a transformation in the country.

8:30 am: NDA Vice Presidential candidate Venkaiah Naidu met MPs from all parties Telugu states, Andhra Pradesh and Teleangana at his residence on August 3rd, ahead of Vice Presidential Elections.

8:20 am: The nominated Members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha are also eligible to participate in the Vice Presidential Elections.

8:10 am: The counting of votes will start once the polling ends. The results would be declared by 7:00 pm.

8:00 am: NDA candidate Venkaiah Naidu or Opposition nominee Gopal Krishna Gandhi whoever garners 50% votes and one vote of the total valid votes cast will be declared the winner. 

Also Watch:

7:45 am: The term of incumbent Hamid Ansari, who has held the post of Vice President for two consecutive terms, will come to an end on August 10. The voting to choose India’s next Vice President will begin at 10 am in Parliament.

7:35 am: Members of Electoral College consisting of Members of the both Houses of Parliament including, the nominated members of Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will cast their vote to choose the next vice president of India today.