Vice-President election 2017 UPDATES: Venkaiah Naidu wins with 516 votes; Gopal Krishna Gandhi gets 244 votes

With around support of 493 members, Naidu is all set to cross the magic figure of 394. The BJP leaders are hopeful of crossing the mark of 500.

Image: File photo/PTI

New Delhi: NDA nominee M. Venkaiah Naidu was on Saturday elected the next Vice President of India, defeating opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi by a margin of 272 votes.

Naidu secured 516 votes while Gandhi got 244 votes. Of the 771 votes polled, 11 votes were declared invalid. "As M. Venkaiah Naidu secured greater than the requisite quota of votes, I declare him as duly elected to the office of the Vice President of India," Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and Returning Officer, Shumsher K. Sheriff, told reporters. CATCH LIVE UPDATES BELOW:

#VenkaiahNaidu at his residence in Delhi after winning #VicePresidentialElection pic.twitter.com/ZMg6st7qaX

— ANI (@ANI_news) August 5, 2017

• M Venkaiah Naidu wins with 516 votes; Gopal Krishna Gandhi gets 244 votes
• Out of 785, 771 MPs voted.
• Counting of votes for Vice-Presidential election begins
• 14 MPs have not voted
• Counting of votes for Vice Presidential election to begin at 6 pm
• Voting for Vice Presidential Election ends. Total 771 out of 785 votes polled, 98.21% poll percentage recorded
• Counting of votes to start from
• Voting for Vice-Presidential poll concluded.
• 96.94% polling till 3 pm in vice presidential elections: Assistant Returning Officer Mukul Pandey (PTI)
• 90.83 per cent voting till 1 pm in vice presidential elections: Assistant Returning Officer Mukul Pandey. (PTI)
• Yesterday a BJP worker threw a stone at me, it hit my PSO. This is Modiji, BJP and RSS’ kind of politics. What can be said: Rahul Gandhi after casting vote.

PM @narendramodi voted in the Vice Presidential election 2017 this morning. pic.twitter.com/PZ6LHY2aLP — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 5, 2017

• Can't call it 1 sided as there were 2 candidates,Meiraji got a lot of votes but only one emerges as winner: Gopalkrishna Gandhi

#VicePresidentialElection NDA candidate @MVenkaiahNaidu arrives in Parliament to cast vote https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/go1GJNsVTa — ABP News (@abpnewstv) August 5, 2017

PM Modi in Parliament for #VicePresidentialElection , will vote first followed by rest of the MPs from both Houses. https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/ToDhXQyhPs — ABP News (@abpnewstv) August 5, 2017

• I have written a polite letter to everybody, response is very good.Confident that they all will support me: Venkaiah Naidu
• Polling by MPs from both Houses to be held between 10am-5pm. Result by 7pm.

My humble request is to wait for the results till evening. My contest is not against any party: @MVenkaiahNaidu on #VicePresidentialElection pic.twitter.com/qKUmvf2nw3 — ABP News (@abpnewstv) August 5, 2017

Parliament sanitised again today for Vice President's Poll. Security Agencies take charge @abpnewstv pic.twitter.com/7pytZ1uP9G — Ashish ABP News (@AshishSinghLIVE) August 5, 2017

NDA has 497 votes while magic number is 394 @MVenkaiahNaidu is set to be VP @abpnewstv Live from 9amw pic.twitter.com/W9rVn3Hth0 — milind khandekar (@milindkhandekar) August 5, 2017

Naidu is pitted against opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi in the election that is taking place in Parliament House with the electoral college comprising 790 members of both the houses. The ruling combine made last minute arrangements to muster maximum support, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving a pep talk to MPs, including those from parties outside the NDA, at a dinner hosted by him. In an effective electoral college of 787 members, Naidu seems to be in a comfortable position as the NDA has a clear majority in the Lok Sabha and has support of some political parties from the south. The Lok Sabha currently has 543 members and the Rajya Sabha 244. The Lok Sabha has two vacancies, while the Rajya Sabha has one vacancy. According to BJP officials, apart from the NDA's 81 Rajya Sabha members and 338 Lok Sabha members, members of both houses - of the AIADMK (50), YSR Congress (10) and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (14) will also vote in favour of Naidu. With around support of 493 members, Naidu is all set to cross the magic figure of 394. The BJP leaders are hopeful of crossing the mark of 500. Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi, a former West Bengal Governor and a diplomat, has support of the Congress, the Left parties, Nationalist Congress Party, DMK, Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and National Conference. Janata Dal-United, which is now a part of NDA, had announced support for Gandhi and is likely to vote in his favour. Gandhi is unlikely to cross the half-way mark. The stage is set for the election as the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has has done all the preparations for Saturday's contest. NDA candidate Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu entered the RSS and within some decades, he became the BJP's best known leader from southern India. He is well known for his witty one-liners. Naidu was a key member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet before being pitted for the prestigious election. Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is an acclaimed civil servant, diplomat and governor, who is a strong votary of secular ethos, and has clear and independent views. Gandhi, 72, had a distinguished career in the civil services before he became a diplomat and governor. Later, he turned an academic, author and columnist. Hamid Ansari has been the Vice President and ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha since August 11, 2007. He won a second term on August 11, 2012. His current term ends on August 10. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was the first from RSS background to occupy the post of Vice President. He served as Vice President of India and ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha from 2002-2007.