India: Opposition's candidate Margaret Alva files nomination for Vice-Presidential election

Margaret Alva, the Opposition candidate for the Vice-Presidential poll, filed her nomination for the Vice Presidential election on Tuesday.

She filed her nomination in the presence of Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other Opposition leaders.

Opposition parties on Sunday decided to field former Rajasthan Governor and former Union minister Alva as their joint candidate for the vice presidential election. Notably, today is the last date for filing nominations for the August 6 election.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar announced on Sunday, "We have unanimously decided to field Margaret Alva as our joint candidate for the post of Vice President." The decision came after the opposition party leaders met in New Delhi at Sharad Pawar's residence to select a joint VP candidate.

Alva, who is pitted against the NDA's Jagdeep Dhankar who filed his nominations on Monday, said in a tweet: "It is a privilege and an honour to be nominated as the candidate of the joint Opposition for the post of Vice President of India. I accept this nomination with great humility and thank the leaders of the opposition for the faith they've put in me".

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