New Delhi Aug 5 (IANS) Vice President-elect M.Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called up his opposition rival Gopalkrishna Gandhi and complimented him for "contesting in true democratic spirit".
Naidu told Gandhi that his grandparents Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajgopalachari Rajaji were his favourite leaders.
President Ram Nath Kovind outgoing Vice President Hamid Ansari and Congress President Sonia Gandhi were among the leaders who congratulated on his victory.
Naidu defeated the combined opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi by a huge margin of 272 votes in a straight contest securing 516 votes against 244 by Gandhi.
--IANS
vsc/vd
