A crucial meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) floor leaders is currently underway at the Parliament building to discuss the selection of the alliance’s nominee for the upcoming Vice Presidential election.
Speaking after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda will decide the name of the candidate.
The meeting comes days after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar tendered his resignation due to health issues, leaving the post vacant. Dhankhar stepped down on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
BJP President JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde, Milind Deora, Praful Patel, Chirag Paswan, Upendra Kushwaha, Ram Mohan, Lallan Singh, Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel, Ramdas Athawale and several other senior alliance leaders are in attendance.
The gathering is significant not only for finalising the NDA’s candidate for the Vice President’s post but also for holding discussions about coordination and training for voting in the election.
Since voting in the Vice Presidential election is done through a secret ballot and a party whip cannot be issued, the focus of the meeting is on ensuring that all NDA MPs are trained properly to cast their votes correctly, avoiding any invalid ballots.
The NDA is leaving nothing to chance after recent setbacks in some House votes, and the training is being positioned as a key strategy to ensure a smooth and united front during polling. All MPs will be guided through the voting process in detail to avoid confusion on polling day.
Just yesterday, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde extended unconditional support to the NDA for the Vice Presidential election, further cementing the alliance’s numbers ahead of the crucial vote.