Margaret Alva was picked by the opposition after a meeting today.
Former Union minister and four-time Governor, Congress's Margaret Alva, is the Opposition's choice for the post of Vice President of India, veteran political leader Sharad Pawar announced after an opposition meeting this afternoon. The NDA has picked Jagdeep Dhankhar -- the former Governor of Bengal -- as its candidate for the post.
Shortly after the announcement, Ms Alva tweeted: "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".
"Margaret Alva, former Governor, former Union Minister, long time MP and very distinguished representative of India's wonderful diversity is the common Opposition candidate for Vice-President," tweeted senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh.
Margaret Alva, 77, has served as the Governor of Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. A five-time parliamentarian, she served as a Cabinet Minister in the government headed by Rajiv Gandhi.
The term of Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu -- who won the election comfortably in 2017 -- ends on August 10. A former BJP president, Mr Naidu was a Cabinet minister in the Central government at the time.
The Vice-Presidential polls will be held on August 6 -- days after the Presidential election.
The Presidential race between Jharkhand's former Governor Droupadi Murmu and the opposition candidate, former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, will be held on Monday.