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Ansari set to become Vice-President

NEW DELHI: The ruling coalition and Left parties’ nominee for Vice-President Hamid Ansari is set to win the race quite comfortably — Congress managers claimed he would poll over 425 votes in an electoral college with an effective strength of 782.

The electoral college comprises Members of Parliament of both the Houses; currently 538 from the Lok Sabha and 244 from the Rajya Sabha.

With a minimum of 50 per cent of the total votes polled plus one needed by the winner, the winning mark in the 782-strong electoral college is 392 votes, and the Congress is certain that Mr. Ansari will sail through easily, with votes to spare.

On Wednesday night, the United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi had hosted a dinner for all MPs of all the parties supporting Mr. Ansari.

The Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party representatives were present signalling that the coalition and supporting parties were solidly behind Mr. Ansari.

The National Democratic Alliance candidate, Najma Heptulla, is a former deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. She is counting on her many friends made over six terms in the Upper House to see her through, but her party managers have almost conceded that voting will be along party lines and hence there is little chance, if any, for the NDA. Ms. Najma has contacted almost each of the MPs personally through a letter.

The UNPA announced at a press conference here on Thursday that all its MPs will cast only one first preference vote – for its candidate Rasheed Masood of the Samajwadi Party.

In fact, party managers of the three major groups – the United Progressive Alliance and the Left; the National Democratic Alliance and the United National Progressive Alliance – have asked their MPs to mark only their first preference vote, leaving the second and third preference blank. They have also tried to educate their member to ensure their vote in not invalidated. Seven votes of the UPA cast in favour of its Presidential candidate were declared invalid.

The Vice-Presidential election campaign has been a low-key affair. The contrast was all the more visible after the high-pitched Presidential election race.

The NDA is apprehensive of a split in its ranks as two of its allies – the Biju Janata Dal and the Trinamool Congress – did not attend the recent meeting to discuss the election. However, the Shiv Sena, which is yet to declare its support, is expected to vote with the BJP in this election as it seems to be keen to avoid a further drift in its relationship with the BJP.

There are indications that the Janata Dal (Secular), BJP’s coalition partner in Karnataka, could abstain.

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