Congratulations pour in for Dhankhar; Opposition hopes he will strengthen democratic debates in RS

India

pti-PTI

New
Delhi,
Aug
06:
Congratulations
poured
in
for
Jagdeep
Dhankhar
after
his
election
as
India’s
14th
vice
president
with
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
meeting
him
soon
after
the
result
was
declared
Saturday
while
top
leaders
of
the
BJP,
Congress
and
other
parties
extended
their
greetings.

President
Droupadi
Murmu
said
the
nation
will
benefit
from
Dhankar’s
long
and
rich
experience
in
public
life
and
extended
her
best
wishes
for
a
productive
and
successful
tenure.

Outgoing
Vice
President
M
Venkaiah
Naidu
also
congratulated
Dhankar
and
said,
“The
nation
will
greatly
benefit
from
your
vast
experience
and
legal
expertise.
My
best
wishes
for
a
successful
and
fruitful
tenure.”

Congress
president
Sonia
Gandhi
and
party
leader
Rahul
Gandhi
congratulated
Dhankar
and
thanked
Margaret
Alva
for
representing
the
spirit
of
the
joint
Opposition
with
grace
and
dignity.
Dhankar
won
with
a
huge
vote
share
of
74.36
per
cent,
the
highest
in
the
last
six
vice-presidential
elections,
with
528
votes
against
Alva’s
128
votes.

Congratulating
Dhankhar
for
his
victory,
Alva
noted
that
while
this
election
is
over,
“the
battle
for
protecting
the
Constitution,
strengthening
democracy
and
restoring
Parliament’s
dignity
will
continue.”
She
hit
out
at
some
opposition
parties
for
supporting
the
BJP
in
this
election
“directly
or
indirectly”
and
said
it
was
an
attempt
to
“derail”
the
idea
of
a
united
opposition.

Union
Minister
Rajnath
Singh
said
he
is
confident
that
Dhankar
will
make
an
exceptional
Vice
President
and
Rajya
Sabha
Chairman.
His
long
public
life,
wide
experience
and
deep
understanding
of
people’s
issues
will
certainly
benefit
the
nation.

Echoing
similar
sentiments,
Union
Home
Minister
Amit
Shah
said,
“Dhankar
will
prove
to
be
an
ideal
guardian
of
the
Constitution
while
holding
the
post
besides
functioning
as
chairman
of
the
Rajya
Sabha.”

Several
opposition
leaders
also
congratulated
Dhankar
on
being
elected
as
Vice
President.
NCP
supremo
Sharad
Pawar
wished
him
success
in
his
tenure
as
the
Vice
President.
Congratulating
Dharkhar,
DMK
supremo
and
Tamil
Nadu
Chief
Minister
MK
Stalin
said,
“Hope
the
ideals
enshrined
in
our
constitution
will
be
upheld
during
your
tenure
besides
strengthening
the
democratic
debates
in
the
Upper
House.”

Ashok
Gehlot,
Congress
leader
and
chief
minister
of
Rajasthan,
the
state
from
where
Dhankar
hails,
said
the
people
of
the
state
are
happy
that
Dhankhar
has
become
the
second
Vice
President
from
Rajasthan
after
Bhairon
Singh
Shekhawat.