NEW DELHI: Kitted out in a blue jacket matching PM Narendra Modi’s, NDA’s vice-president candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar filed his nomination papers on Monday.
Dhankhar’s win is seen as easy given the voting proclivity and the support of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD and YSRCP of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Filing his papers, Dhankhar (71) found himself in the company of PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief JP Nadda.
“I will strive to enhance the democratic values of the country,” he said after submitting his papers.
Described as ‘Kisan-Putra (farmer’s son)’ by the BJP, Dhankhar sought to put up his humblest side, saying he had never thought that a person like him with a modest background” would get the opportunity to serve as the second highest Constitutional post. He expressed his gratitude to the NDA and the Prime Minister.
“I was born in a farmer’s family. I had to walk around 6km to my school,” said Dhankhar, who recently quit as West Bengal Governor.
“I salute the founding fathers of our Constitution, our great democratic values and the strength of our civilization.”
Earlier, PM Modi lauded Dhankhar, saying he was well versed in legislative affairs and would “certainly be an outstanding chair in the Rajya Sabha to guide the proceedings of the House.”
The Trinamool leadership in West Bengal has often accused Dhankhar of acting as an “agent of the BJP.”
On his part, he has asserted he has gone by the rulebook in flagging issues to the Mamata Banerjee government.
Dhankar faces Opposition’s candidate Margaret Alva in the August 6 Vice-Presidential election. Alva will file her papers on Tuesday. Upon reaching Delhi on Monday from Karnataka, she met senior Congress leaders and other prominent leaders of Opposition parties.
Modi, who was among the senior leaders who were proposers for his candidature, expressed confidence that Dhankhar will be "an excellent and inspiring Vice President.
" The opposition has named Margaret Alva as its candidate for the vice presidential election.
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.
Asserting that Dhankhar's nomination was "a matter of great pride for every citizen", BJP president J P Nadda said,"his decades of experience in serving the nation in different roles and capacities with his erudition ensures that he is the right candidate to become the vice president of our country."
"His life and commitment are an inspiration to every citizen. A farmer's son, his nomination is a matter of great pride for every citizen of the country and is representative of the BJP's ideology of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'," Nadda added.
Before filing his nomination, Dhankhar attended a meeting of MPs from different parties supporting his candidature.
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 which have 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.
In Jaipur, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said Dhankhar is from Rajasthan and is pitted against joint opposition candidate Alva who has been the former governor of the state.
"He (Dhankhar) has become a candidate from Rajasthan just like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat once became (the VP candidate). If a candidate is from the state, there may be sentiments (for him) among people here, but the voting pattern will remain based on ideology," he said.
Gehlot said the chairman of both the houses of Parliament from Rajasthan is a pleasant coincidence.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is also from Rajasthan.
(With PTI Inputs)