Former prime minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, arrived in parliament on Saturday in a wheelchair to cast his vote for the vice presidential elections 2022. The 89-year-old Congress leader was seen being helped as he cast his vote in the Jagdeep Dhankhar vs Margaret Alva battle.
This comes just weeks after the ailing Congress veteran had come to vote in the wheelchair for the presidential elections 2022, drawing admiration.
On Saturday, along with his photos, an Odisha unit of the Congress, tweeted: “He upheld the democratic institutions of India strongly during his tenure. He is still seen participating in them.” As he cast his vote, people along with him were seen supporting him.
Dr Manmohan Singh had tested positive for coronavirus last year when leaders across the country wished him speedy recovery; he was briefly hospitalized. Before leading the country as the prime minister, he had also served as the finance minister between 1991 and 1996.
Meanwhile, in the vice presidential poll race, the NDA-backed Jagdeep Dhankhar is facing Margaret Alva, backed by the opposition, who has been a five-time MP. While Dhankhar has served as the governor of Bengal, Alva has served as the governor of Goa, Gujarat and Uttarakhand.
However, numbers are stacked heavily in favour of Dhankhar.
Ahead of the polling day, Alva, a long-time Congress veteran wrote on Twitter: “MPs fight great electoral battles to gain entry to the Temple of Democracy – our Parliament. Each of them is a hero, worthy of our respect. Each a unique voice, that deserves to be heard. I believe when these powerful voices are given expression, great things can be achieve.”
The polling in parliament began at 10 am and will continue till 5 pm. The counting of the votes is set to take place later in the day.