Vice-Presidential Polls: 14 MPs absent during voting

With the voting coming to an end and counting beginning in the Vice-Presidential elections today, it has been revealed that 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) were not present during the voting process.

Two from BJP, two from Congress, two from Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), four from TMC, one from NCP, one from Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and two Independent.

The list of names is as follows:

• Vijay Goel and Sanwar Lal Jat (Bharatiya Janata Party)

• Anu Agha and Naba Kumar Sarania (Independent)

• Abdul Wahab and P. K. Kunhallikutty (Indian Union Muslim League)

• Kunal Kumar Ghosh, Tapas Paul, Pratima Mondal and Abhishek Banerjee (Trinamool Congress)

• Mausam Noor and Ranee Narah (Indian National Congress)

• Udayanraje Bhonsale (Nationalist Congress Party)

• Anbumani Ramadoss (Pattali Makkal Katchi)

Voting for Vice Presidential Election ended with a total poll percentage of 98.21%.

Total 771 out of 785 MPs cast their votes. The counting process began at 6 p.m.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee and former union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu is contesting against Opposition nominee Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

The winner of the polls will be appointed as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

The term of incumbent Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who held the position for two consecutive terms, will come to an end on August 10.

The voting began at 10 a.m. The results are expected to be declared by 7 p.m. today.

The Vice-President is selected through a secret ballot by the members of the Electoral College consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

The nominated Members of Rajya Sabha as well as of Lok Sabha are also eligible to be included in the Electoral College and, therefore, are entitled to participate in the election.

Members of Parliament had to use special pens for marking their choice.

Votes marked with any other pen are liable to be rejected.

The ballot paper contained the names of the contesting candidates, but did not contain any election symbol.

Unlike the President, the Vice-President is not allotted any special residential privileges while in office.