The Opposition parties have started preliminary deliberations for zeroing on a Vice-Presidential candidate for an election where the numbers are heavily stacked against them.
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On Wednesday, Nationalist Congress Party patriarch Sharad Pawar held a meeting in Delhi to discuss the progress of the campaign of the Opposition’s Presidential nominee Yashwant Sinha and to have preliminary discussions on the Vice-Presidential candidate.
The meeting was attended by Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and RJD leader A.D. Singh.
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The Trinamool Congress did not attend the meeting, though, they too are on board with the idea of putting up a fight.
The poll to elect the 16th Vice-President of India will be held on August 6, and July 19 is the last date for filing nomination. The incumbent M. Venkaiah Naidu’s term comes to an end on August 10.
The arithmetic is far worse for the Opposition in the Vice-Presidential election than the Presidential since the electoral college comprises of only Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members. Currently, the BJP has 303 members in the Lok Sabha and 92 in the Rajya Sabha and therefore can sail through, even without the help of the allies.
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Regardless, the Opposition parties are keen to force a contest. “We will put up a political and ideological fight,” Mr. Yechury said.
In 2017, former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi was their Vice-Presidential nominee. The Left again wanted Mr. Gandhi to be the Opposition’s Presidential candidate in 2022, but he bowed out of the contest.
As per the initial discussions, it has been decided that the candidate will not belong to the Congress or any Opposition party. “Elections are not always about winning or losing, it is about articulating your vision and present to the country an alternate paradigm. That is what democracy is all about,” RJD leader Manoj K. Jha said.
The Presidential campaign for the Opposition parties has not been encouraging. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) which had initially expressed support for Mr. Sinha has backed out. The Aam Aadmi Party has not expressed its opinion so far. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, also is leaning towards the NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu.
Mr. Pawar, in a tweet, on Wednesday evening, said, “A meeting of Opposition parties to discuss about the Presidential elections was held at my Delhi residence. In this meeting the campaign strategy was planned. We all are standing strongly with out candidate Yashwant Sinha to fight for the issues faced by our country.”