Page 213 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Electing the President and Vice President Chapter 8

V.V. Giri reacts to his victory in the Presidential election (1969). He had earlier Gopal Swarup Pathak (right) becomes the fourth Vice President of India
served as India’s third Vice President between May 13, 1967 & May 3, 1969 in 1969

the capital of the state from where he/she was a member. papers. Therefore, the Vice Presidential elections were
They had to seek a special permit from Election conducted shortly after the Presidential elections were
Commission of India and produce the same before the completed. The notifications were issued on July 31,
Assistant Returning Officer at the state capital concerned. 1969, and the polling took place after a month on August
This time, this procedure was simplified. All elected 30, 1969. Gopal Swarup Pathak, with 400 first preference
Members of Parliament were informed by individual votes, was declared the winner. He became the fourth
letters that they would be entitled to vote in a state capital Vice President of India.
if they would prefer to, after informing the Election In less than a decade, the situation arose for another mid-
Commission about the same. No further action was term Presidential poll, this time in a phase of political
required, and no special permit was issued either.
transition. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the fifth President of
The poll was taken at New Delhi and respective state
capitals on August 16, 1969. Sen-Varma informs three
members of Legislative Assemblies availed the facility to
cast their vote in Parliament House. On the other hand, 31
Members of Parliament exercised their franchise at
respective state capitals. The counting took place at
August 20 at New Delhi, resulting in victory for V.V. Giri.
Between July 20 and August 24, 1969 Justice Mohammad
Hidayatullah, the sitting Chief Justice of India, served as
the Acting President of India. Meanwhile the office of Vice
President had also fallen vacant when V.V. Giri resigned as
Vice President on July 20, 1969 to file the nomination Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed assumes the office of the President of India, 1974

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