Kharge Rallies Opposition Parties to Field Common INDIA Bloc VP Nominee

The INDIA bloc is to put up a joint vice presidential candidate for the upcoming poll. The Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, reached out to opposition parties to explore names and reach a consensus on it.

According to PTI reports, sources claimed that there was a strong feeling in the bloc that opposition parties should not shy away from a contest to send a strong political message, irrespective of the outcome.

Although there hasn't been a formal discussion about choosing a candidate, backchannel talks are taking place among the INDIA bloc partners to explore potential candidates' names, with Kharge contacting opposition parties to try to achieve an agreement.

Congressional sources told PTI, all parties agree that the INDIA group will field a joint candidate for the vice presidential election. Some in the opposition camp, however, think that the INDIA group must select its nominee after the BJP makes its announcement.

This comes at a time of heightened unity among the INDIA bloc constituents who have vowed to fight against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and alleged poll rigging.

PTI reported that top INDIA bloc politicians gathered for a dinner meeting at Congressman Rahul Gandhi's home on Thursday in a show of solidarity, promising to oppose the BJP-Election Commission's "vote chori model" and the rewriting of the election rolls in Bihar.

The opposition bloc's top leaders gathered in person for the first time since June 2024, just after the Lok Sabha elections, at the home of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

Several leaders from 25 parties were present at the meeting, which included Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah, PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, SP's Akhilesh Yadav, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, DMK's Tiruchi Siva and T R Baalu, CPI(M)'s M A Baby, CPI's D Raja, CPI(ML)'s Dipankar Bhattacharya and MNM chief Kamal Haasan.

During the meeting, Gandhi gave a presentation on the "vote chori model" being allegedly perpetrated by the BJP through the Election Commission. Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal termed the meeting as one of the "most successful".

As per reports, when asked whether the vice presidential election was also discussed, he had said, "There wasn't much discussion on the vice presidential election... There are other occasions for it".

Kharge will also host a dinner for the INDIA bloc MPs on Monday, according to PTI. 

Vice Presidential Poll

The combined effective strength of the two Houses is 781, and if all eligible voters cast ballots, the victor will need to receive 391 votes in the vice presidential election. Every member of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, including those who have been nominated, casts a vote in the vice presidential election.

The NDA seems to have the numbers on its side with a strength of around 422 members.

The process to choose Jagdeep Dhankhar's successor began last Thursday when the Election Commission released a notification for the vice presidential election scheduled for September 9.

Three nomination papers were sent to the returning officer for the election, Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody, but they were turned down because they were out of order.

The letter states that nominations must be submitted by August 21 for them to be reviewed on August 22. August 25 is the deadline for nomination withdrawals.

In the event of a midterm election, the incumbent is granted a full five-year term per constitutional stipulations. A person must be an Indian citizen, be at least 35 years old, and be eligible to serve as a Rajya Sabha member in order to be elected vice president.

Additionally, an individual is ineligible if they have a profit-making position with the Indian government, a state government, or a lower municipal government.