New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Minutes before the Opposition announced its candidate for the election to the post of Vice President of India, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to MPs from all parties to support NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan.

“Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been speaking to MPs and we want a unanimous candidate to be elected to the post of Vice President,” said Rijiju, while talking to media persons after the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting.

He said, “The NDA Parliamentary Party meeting was held today in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the NDA’s vice presidential candidate, C.P. Radhakrishnan, was introduced. All NDA floor leaders and Members of Parliament warmly welcomed and felicitated him, while also thanking the Prime Minister.”

Rijiju said in a post on X, “Attended the NDA Parliamentary Party Meeting in Delhi under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji. Glad to witness the overwhelming enthusiasm in support of Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan ji’s candidature for Vice President.”

He hailed Radhakrishnan as a person with an unblemished public life, sans any controversy or corruption charge, and described him as an ideal candidate to occupy the constitutional post.

Radhakrishnan, who is the Governor of Maharashtra, is likely to be elected as the next Vice President on September 9 by defeating Opposition candidate and former Supreme Court Judge B. Sudershan Reddy. The NDA’s numerical superiority is likely to reduce the election to just a symbolic contest.

The vice presidential election was necessitated by the mid-term resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who vacated the post on July 21 citing medical reasons. However, his departure has sparked widespread speculation of underlying tensions between him and the union government.

The VP is elected by an electoral college comprising members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. With a clear numerical advantage in Parliament, the NDA holds sufficient strength to ensure the victory of its chosen candidate.

The Vice President also serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, making the post politically significant.

–IANS

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