Opposition to Finalise VP Candidate Today, Confirms Mallikarjun Kharge

Opposition parties are set to hold a key meeting this evening to decide their candidate for the Vice President election, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday. The development comes a day after the NDA announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its nominee for the post.

NDA names its candidate

NDA’s decision to put forward Radhakrishnan was taken after what BJP President JP Nadda described as “long discussions with alliance partners”. He also said the Opposition had told them that their support would depend on who was chosen. “We are hopeful that the vice president will be elected with agreement from all sides,” Nadda said on Sunday.

The 68-year-old leader started his public life in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and has earlier been Governor of Jharkhand, held additional charge of Telangana, and worked as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

Opposition reactions

Opposition leaders responded differently to the announcement. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the INDIA alliance had already held some talks on the matter, and a joint decision would be shared soon. Manickam Tagore from Congress pointed to Radhakrishnan’s long link with the RSS, saying it cannot be overlooked even though he has served as an MP, BJP Tamil Nadu chief, and now Governor of Maharashtra. Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh also spoke against the RSS background of the NDA pick, claiming the decision was more by the RSS than the NDA. “Other NDA parties must think about their role in a BJP-led alliance,” he added.

Mixed voices from allies

Uddhav Sena leader Sanjay Raut, however, took a softer tone. His party would be happy if the Maharashtra governor was elected vice president, he said, calling Radhakrishnan "a very balanced personality". “But an election will happen, and the INDIA alliance will make its choice. Right now, the bigger concern is vote theft, and we don’t want to shift focus from it,” Raut told the media. Radhakrishnan’s nomination comes just after the vice president’s post became vacant when Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down, citing health issues. The vice president election is scheduled to take place on September 9.