India's incumbent vice president Hamid Ansari was Tuesday re-elected, defeating opposition nominee Jaswant Singh as a candidate of the ruling United Progressive Alliance.

Lok Sabha or Lower House of Parliament Secretary General T.K. Viswanathan, the returning officer for the poll, made the announcement about Ansari's re-election minutes after the counting ended Tuesday evening at the Parliament House.

Ansari polled 490 first preference votes out of 728 valid votes cast in the election. Singh polled 238 votes.

Ansari, who sought re-election for a second term, was backed by the Congress, most other parties of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, those supporting the alliance from outside and some left parties.

Jaswant Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader and a former minister, had the backing of the National Democratic Alliance.