NDA vice presidential pick Dhankhar files nomination, says will strive to enhance democratic values

Set to become India’s next vice president, NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar said Monday he will always strive to enhance democratic values as he filed nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior members of the parties supporting his bid.

After filing his nomination, Dhankhar highlighted his humble origins and told reporters that he had never thought even in his dreams that an ordinary person from a farmer’s family like him will get such a ”historic” opportunity.

Besides Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Nitin Gadkari, BJP president J P Nadda, Janata Dal (United) chief Lalan Singh, and BJD’s Pinaki Misra were present during his nomination for the August 6 election in which his win is all but certain as he enjoys support from a majority of MPs.

Union ministers Pashupati Kumar Paras, Anupriya Patel, and Ramdas Athawale, all BJP allies, were also present among others.

Before filing his nomination, the former West Bengal governor attended a meeting of MPs from different parties supporting his candidature.

The opposition has named Margaret Alva as its candidate for the vice presidential election.

Dhankhar said he was at a loss for words for this opportunity and salutes the founding fathers of the Constitution, India’s great democratic values, and the strength of its civilization. ”And I am grateful to the prime minister and the leadership that a humble man like me from a ‘Kisan’ family who would never have got an education but for a scholarship has been given this historic opportunity. I take it as a major milestone reflection on the events in which we are at this moment,” he added.

Modi was among the senior leaders who were proposers of his candidature.

”Ministers, MPs, and leaders from various parties accompanied Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji for the filing of his nomination papers. I am certain that he will be an excellent and inspiring Vice President,” the prime minister tweeted.

The electoral college for the poll comprises members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The BJP alone has 394 MPs out of the current strength of 780 with 391 being the majority mark. The major parties which have already declared their support to Dhankhar include the JD(U), the BJD, and the YSR Congress had 21, 21, and 31 MPs respectively. This along with the BJP’s 394, takes his support to 467 MPs. Several other parties, including the AIADMK with five MPs, Apna Dal with two MPs, and a few from the Northeast have also pledged their support, making it all but certain that he will be M Venkaiah Naidu’s successor as vice president.