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NEW DELHI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Former Indian Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu was Saturday elected as the country's new vice president.

Naidu defeated the united opposition candidate Gopal Krishna Gandhi, the grandson of pre-independence icon Mahatma Gandhi and former state Governor, by a huge margin of 272 votes.

Naidu, who had earlier served as Indian Urban Development Minister, bagged 516 votes as against 244 by Gandhi.

"I promise to uphold the Constitution and the high standards set by my esteemed predecessors," he tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to greet him.

"Congratulations to @MVenkaiahNaidu Garu on being elected India's Vice President. My best wishes for a fruitful & motivating tenure," Modi wrote.

Naidu will be sworn in as India's new Vice President on Aug. 10 when incumbent Vice President Hamid Ansari's second five-year term expires.

Members of both Houses of Parliament -- Lok Sabha (the Lower House) and Rajya Sabha (the Upper House) voted throughout the day to elect the vice president through secret ballots.