- Title: INDIA: Lawmakers cast their votes to elect India's 14th Vice President
- Date: 7th August 2012
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (AUGUST 07, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** POLLING OFFICIALS BALLOT BOX POLLING OFFICIALS CHECKING THE BALLOT BOX OFFICIALS HOLDING AN EMPTY BALLOT BOX LEADER OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION THE BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP), SHAHNAWAZ HUSSAIN STANDING LAWMAKERS ARRIVING TO CAST THEIR VOTE LAWMAKERS CASTING THEIR VOTE VOTING IN PROGRESS INDIA'S RURAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTER, JAIRAM RAMESH WALKING TOWARDS THE BALLOT BOX AND CASTING HIS VOTE INDIA'S JUNIOR FARM AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS MINISTER, HARISH RAWAT CASTING HIS VOTE SENIOR LEADER OF INDIA'S RULING CONGRESS PARTY, MANI SHANKAR AIYAR WALKING TOWARDS THE BALLOT BOX AND CASTING HIS VOTE LAWMAKERS CASTING VOTE INDIA'S CIVIL AVIATION MINISTER, AJIT SINGH AND GENERAL SECRETARY OF INDIA'S REGIONAL RASHTRIYA LOK DAL (RLD), JAYANT CHAUDHARY CASTING THEIR VOTE INDIA'S COAL MINISTER, SRI PRAKASH JAISWAL WALKING TOWARDS THE BALLOT BOX JAISWAL CASTING HIS VOTE FORMER CHIEF MINISTER OF INDIA'S NORTHERN HIMACHAL PRADESH STATE, VIRBHADRA SINGH CASTING HIS VOTE A LAWMAKER CASTING HIS VOTE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION, JASWANT SINGH GETTING INSIDE HIS CAR CAR ON THE ROAD SINGH SITTING INSIDE THE CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION, JASWANT SINGH, SAYING: "The voting is still going on. Let us see what happens." CAR LEAVING
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2012 22:41
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA8AJJ4B8Q803HS20ZJSDVJYFP7
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Lawmakers cast their votes to elect India's 14th Vice-President on Tuesday (August 07) in New Delhi for which the leader of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, Jaswant Singh, and Vice President Hamid Ansari are standing against each other.
India's Vice President Hamid Ansari who was re-nominated for the post by federal ruling Congress party led United Progressive Alliance had filed his nomination papers for a second term July 18.
Ansari's term as Vice Presidenton August 10. He is the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha (Upper house of the Parliament).
Ansari has the committed support of the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), CPM, National Conference and several others.
Chief Minister of India's eastern state of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) were also expected to vote for Hamid Ansari.
Jaswant Singh had served as finance minister, foreign minister and defence minister in the NDA government during 1998 to 2004.
Singh has the support of the BJP, the Janata Dal-United, the Shiv Sena, the Akali Dal, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and several other smaller parties.
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha had announced that it would abstain from voting in the vice-presidential election.
A total of 790 MPs were eligible to vote in the Vice Presidential ballot.
The Vice President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both the Houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha (Lower house) and the Rajya Sabha (Upper house) in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote by secret ballot. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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