With both the NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc working to mobilise support for their candidates, the upcoming vice-presidential election is shaping into a high-stakes contest.
Opposition nominee Justice B Sudershan Reddy is scheduled to meet alliance partners to build consensus and project unity ahead of the September 9 election.
The bloc is also seeking to persuade neutral parties such as Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD), YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), and K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Reddy has already met Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal after filing his nomination and is scheduled to call on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai on Sunday. A delegation, including Congress MPs, will also meet DMK MPs and other allies to secure their support.
According to Congress sources, senior party leaders will travel to Lucknow on Monday to meet political leaders and MPs in Uttar Pradesh to expand outreach.
With the contest pitting two southern leaders against each other, the Opposition hopes that by fielding Reddy it can mount a credible challenge to NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with an RSS background.
The YSRCP has seven Rajya Sabha MPs and five Lok Sabha MPs, while the BJD has seven Rajya Sabha members. The BRS holds four seats in the Rajya Sabha but none in the Lok Sabha.
Although the YSRCP has pledged support to the NDA’s candidate, it is learnt that a senior Congress leader met YSRCP MP Y V Subba Reddy in Delhi on Friday to seek backing for the Opposition nominee.
According to sources, AAP may approach the BRS in Telangana, as the two parties share close ties, while the Trinamool Congress is expected to reach out to the BJD and other parties.
Fence-sitters such as the BJD and BRS have not yet revealed their position, though both have previously backed the Modi government on key legislation in Parliament.