PM Modi, JP Nadda to choose NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate today

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President and Union Minister JP Nadda will select the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election on Tuesday.

The announcement was made following a high-level meeting of NDA leaders held in New Delhi on Thursday.

The resolution to authorise PM Modi and Nadda was passed during the meeting, which was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who was present at the gathering, briefed the media afterwards, stating that the final candidate chosen by the Prime Minister and the BJP President would have the consensus and support of all NDA partners.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, Lok Janshakti Party’s Chirag Paswan, the TDP’s Lavu Krishna Devarayalu, and the Republican Party of India’s Ramdas Athawale also attended the meeting. Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had already announced unconditional support for the BJP’s choice of candidate on Wednesday.

The official announcement of the NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate is expected to be made on Tuesday, ahead of the August 21 deadline for filing nominations.

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

The vice-presidential election is set to take place on September 9.

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

–IANS