Vice-Presidential Election 2017: Over 90 percent votes cast by 1 pm, results to be declared by 7 pm

New Delhi: More than 90 percent votes in the vice presidential election had been cast by 1 pm, the assistant returning officer said on Saturday. According to Mukul Pandey, the assistant returning officer of the vice presidential polls, 713 of 785 electors had voted by 1 pm, recording 90.83 percent voting. [caption id=“attachment_3897319” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) with Venkaiah Naidu. PTI[/caption] “Earlier in the morning, the first hour recorded a sizeable turnout of MPs waiting to cast their vote,” Pandey said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and M Venkaiah Naidu, the NDA’s vice presidential nominee and a Rajya Sabha member, as well as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, a Lok Sabha member, were among the first to cast their ballot. In fact, the prime minister was standing in queue even before the voting hall opened at 10 am. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, his party MPs Jyotiraditya Scindia, Deepender Singh Hooda and Sushmita Dev also voted to elect the next vice president. The Opposition has fielded Gopalkrishna Gandhi for the post. MPs are using special pens for marking their choice in the election which will conclude at 5 pm. The counting of votes will commence after polling and the results will be declared by 7 pm, Election Commission officials said. The electoral college which elects the vice president, who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, consists of elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Follow LIVE updates on the vice-presidential election here.