Venkaiah Naidu, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance’s candidate who was elected the vice president on Saturday, said he was humbled by his win. Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other party leaders for their support.
Naidu said he will uphold the Constitution. “I’ll seek to utilise the vice-presidential institution to strengthen the hands of president and uphold dignity of the Upper House,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Naidu defeated Opposition nominee Gopalkrishna Gandhi. While Naidu got 516 votes, Gandhi secured 244. Gandhi also congratulated Naidu, and thanked those who voted for him. He added that said he was satisfied by his performance, ANI reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Naidu, and wished him a fruitful tenure. “I am confident Venkaiah Naidu will serve nation as a diligent and dedicated vice president, committed to the goal of nation building,” he tweeted.
The chief ministers of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha also congratulated vice president-elect. Many senior BJP leaders met Naidu at his residence after his victory to felicitate him.
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