A joint session of the US Congress on Thursday formally certified the electoral victory of Joe Biden as the next US president and Kamala Harris as the vice president in the November 3 election.
The counting of Electoral College votes and its subsequent certification came after an ugly episode of violence inside the US Capitol, resulting in four deaths, wherein Capitol Hill was brought under a lockdown, with lawmakers being taken to safe places, shots were fired inside the Congress and tear gas was used.
No wonder, Congressmen including Republicans welcomed the outcome with fist bumps and applause. Here are some photos:
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IMAGE: Vice President Mike Pence (left) bumps fists with US Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) at the conclusion of the count of electoral votes in the House Chamber during a reconvening of a joint session of Congress on January 07, 2021, in Washington, DC. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images.
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IMAGE: Vice President Mike Pence (left) and US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) look over documents in the House Chamber during a reconvening of a joint session of Congress on January 7, 2021, in Washington, DC. Photograph: McNamee/Getty Images.
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IMAGE: US Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), read the final certification of Electoral College votes cast in November's presidential election during a joint session of Congress after working through the night, at the Capitol in Washington, USA, January 7, 2021.Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/Pool via Reuters.
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IMAGE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gestures after the Congress certified the Electoral College votes of the 2020 presidential election, in U.S Capitol in Washington, USA, January 7, 2021. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters.
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IMAGE: US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (rright) (D-CA) talks with Vice President Mike Pence talk after the conclusion of the count of electoral votes in the House Chamber during a reconvening of a joint session of Congress on January 7, 2021, in Washington, DC. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images.