INDIA Bloc Likely to Contest Vice Presidential Poll, Decision on Common Candidate Soon

The Opposition’s Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is likely to field a candidate in the upcoming vice presidential election, sources told PTI on Thursday. A final decision is expected after a consensus is reached among member parties.

Despite the BJP-led NDA holding a numerical advantage, sources said the INDIA bloc believes the gap is not insurmountable and feels a contest would send a strong political message, regardless of the outcome.

“There is a view that we should not shy away from the fight,” a senior leader was quoted as saying.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge echoed this sentiment on Wednesday, telling Hindustan Times that a joint meeting of INDIA bloc parties will be held soon to decide on the course of action. “We will call a meeting of the INDIA group parties and take a collective decision on what to do for the VP election,” Kharge said.

The vice presidential election was triggered by the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday. Dhankhar, who also served as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, cited health reasons in his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu.

Where the Numbers Stand

The vice president is elected by members of both Houses of Parliament. With a combined strength of 782, the winning candidate will need at least 392 votes if all members cast their ballot.

In the Lok Sabha, the NDA has the support of 293 MPs, while the INDIA bloc commands 234. In the Rajya Sabha, the NDA is backed by around 130 members, compared to 79 from the INDIA bloc. This gives the NDA an estimated 423 votes to the opposition’s 313, with the rest unaligned.

Though the ruling alliance holds a clear edge, the INDIA bloc appears set on mounting a challenge to underline its political relevance ahead of future contests.