Opposition's vice presidential candidate Margaret Alva files nomination papers

Opposition's vice presidential candidate Margaret Alva filed her nomination papers for the post on Tuesday. The joint opposition nominee was accompanied by several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

The vice presidential poll will be held on August 6 to elect the successor to M Venkaiah Naidu, whose term ends on August 10. Tuesday is the last date for submission of nominations for the vice presidential election.

"It's a tough election without a doubt, but I'm not afraid to take on the challenge," she had said on Monday while thanking opposition parties who have supported her candidature.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Alva, 80, is pitted against NDA's Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned as West Bengal governor after being nominated on Saturday evening.

Former Rajasthan governor Alva belongs to Mangalore of poll-bound Karnataka and to the Christian community and her political profile, gender, minority community identity and origin were all counted favourably when the opposition unanimously chosen her as candidate for the post of vice president on Sunday.

All MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, comprise the electoral college for the vice president's election.