Vice President polls: Jagdeep Dhankhar files nomination, says will strive to enhance democratic values

Nominating his name, the ruling BJP has said that his farmer roots, expertise in the legal matters and experience as an administrator have made the party choose him as the ruling coalition's VP candidate.

NDA’s candidate for Vice President’s post Jagdeep Dhankhar, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

Announcing that he would “always strive to enhance democratic values of the country”, NDA nominee for Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar filed his nomination papers on Monday, flanked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders of the ruling coalition.

“Never even in my dreams did I think a person with a humble background like me would get this opportunity. I am grateful to Prime Minister Modi and the leadership for giving a humble man from a kisan (farmer) family, like me, such a historic opportunity,” Dhankhar said after filing the nomination.

Apart from Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh; BJP president J P Nadda; Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Lalan Singh; Union Ministers Anupriya Patel, Pashupati Nath Paras and Ramdas Athawale; and the Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) Pinaki Misra were present when he filed his nomination papers with Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh.

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Sources said Prime Minister Modi is the first proposer, Shah, senior ministers Nitin Gadkari and Nirmala Sitharaman are also among the first 30 proposers. Rajnath Singh leads the list of seconders.

Nominating his name, the ruling BJP has said that his farmer roots, expertise in the legal matters and experience as an administrator have made the party choose him as the ruling coalition’s VP candidate.

Before filing his nomination, the former West Bengal Governor, who had a constant run in with the ruling Trinamool Congress, attended a meeting of members from various parties supporting his candidature.

The electoral college for voting in the Vice President consists of Members of Parliament from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members.

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