BJP Announces West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar As Vice Presidential Candidate

"The Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary Board has reached the conclusion that 'kisan putra' [farmer's son] Jagdeep Dhankhar will be BJP and NDA's candidate for the post of Vice President," said BJP chief JP Nadda in Hindi on Saturday evening.?

The announcement comes after BJP Parliamentary Board meeting on Saturday, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, BJP chief Nadda, and Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan among others.?

Speaking about Dhankhar, Nadda called him a "people's governor" and "fully-equipped with administrative capacity."

Dhankhar assumed the charge of West Bengal Governor in July 2019. He has taken on on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government regularly over various issues.?

BJP leaders noted that Dhankhar has been in public life for more than three decades, and his life story reflects the spirit of new India: "overcoming innumerable social and economic hurdles and achieving one's goals".?

The BJP last month announced tribal leader and former Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu as the presidential candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's (NDA).?

The last date for filing of nomination papers for the poll is July 19 and the election is scheduled for August 6.

This is a developing story. It will be updated as and when details emerge.