The decision was confirmed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who stated that the NDA leaders unanimously agreed to entrust the selection to PM Modi and Nadda. Notably, both are Leaders of the House in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
NDA on Thursday formally authorised PM Modi and Nadda to choose the alliance's vice presidential candidate. File Pic/PTI
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday formally authorised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda to choose the alliance's vice presidential candidate, as the Election Commission began the nomination process on Thursday by issuing an official notification, reported the PTI.
The decision was confirmed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who stated that the NDA leaders unanimously agreed to entrust the selection to PM Modi and Nadda. Notably, both are Leaders of the House in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively.
Given the NDA's strong majority in the electoral college -- comprising members from both Houses of Parliament -- the alliance’s candidate is expected to easily win the election.
Rijiju added that no specific names were discussed during the NDA meeting. When asked whether the alliance would reach out to the Opposition to seek consensus, he noted, “There are certain conventions. If the Opposition comes and discusses with us, we will talk. But this is a constitutional process we must follow,” according to the PTI.
The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and included senior BJP leaders such as Amit Shah, Rijiju, and Nadda, as well as key allies from the NDA including JD(U)’s Lalan Singh, Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, TDP’s Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, and Chirag Paswan of LJP (Ram Vilas). Representatives from AIADMK, Apna Dal, and other regional parties also attended the meeting.
Out of a total strength of 788 MPs, the effective strength is 781 due to one vacancy in the Lok Sabha and six in the Rajya Sabha, including one following the recent demise of Shibu Soren, former Jharkhand CM.
The NDA commands the support of around 422 MPs, comfortably surpassing the majority mark of 391.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc has indicated it may field its own candidate, primarily to send a political message of resistance to the BJP-led government. Tensions between the ruling alliance and the Opposition have escalated over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, as per the PTI.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been vocal in accusing the Election Commission of collusion with the BJP, alleging that the polls are being manipulated.
The last date for nominations is 21 August, and if contested, the election will be held on 9 September 2025.
The election has been necessitated by the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on 21 July. While he cited health issues, sources believe that his resignation was driven by strained relations with the central government, which made his continuation untenable.
The Vice President also serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, a position of critical importance in managing legislative business in Parliament.
(with PTI inputs)
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