The Election Commission of India held indirect eighth
presidential elections of India on 12 July 1982.
Zail Singh
Giani Zail Singh (, born Jarnail Singh; 5 May 1916 – 25 December 1994) was an Indian politician from Punjab who served as the president of India from 1982 to 1987 and chief minister of Punjab. He was the first Sikh to become president.
B ...
with 754,113 votes won over his nearest rival
Hans Raj Khanna
Hans Raj Khanna (3 July 1912 – 25 February 2008) was an Indian judge, jurist and advocate who propounded the basic structure doctrine in 1973 and attempted to uphold civil liberties during the time of Emergency in India in a lone dissenting j ...
who got 282,685 votes.
Zail Singh was the first and till date only
Sikh
Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
to be the President of India.
Candidates
Potential opposition candidates included
N. G. Goray former high commissioner to London, and
Bhola Paswan Shastri
Bhola Paswan Shastri (21 September 1914 - 10 September 1984) was an Indian freedom fighter and on three occasions between 1968-71 was former Chief Minister of Bihar state in India.
He was born in Paswan Community in Bairgacchi village of Pu ...
, former Rajya Sabha member.
Schedule
The election schedule was announced by the
Election Commission of India
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body established by Constitution of India, the Constitution of the Republic of India empowered to conduct free and fair elections in the Republic of India. It is headed by a Chief Ele ...
on 9 June 1982.
Results
Source: Web archive of Election Commission of India website
[http://www.aol.in/news-story/the-indian-president-past-winners-and-losers/2007061905199019000001 AOL news (Past and present Presidential Results)]
See also
*
1979 Indian vice presidential election
The 1979 Indian vice presidential election was held in mid-1979 to elect the vice president of India. Former chief justice Mohammad Hidayatullah was elected unopposed for the post. Had the election been contested by more than one candidate, it w ...
References
{{Indian presidential elections
1982 elections in India
Presidential elections in India
July 1982 in India