New Delhi, August 20: Maharashtra Governor and NDA nominee C. P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday formally entered the race for the Vice President’s office, filing his nomination papers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior leaders of the ruling coalition. The election is scheduled for September 9.
Radhakrishnan, a veteran RSS leader from Tamil Nadu, paid floral tributes at Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House complex before proceeding to the new Parliament building to submit his nomination to Returning Officer P. C. Mody, Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha.
Four sets of nomination papers were filed on his behalf, with the Prime Minister serving as the chief proposer in the first set. Modi led a delegation of senior BJP ministers, NDA partners, and other allies to endorse Radhakrishnan’s candidature. Leaders of all NDA parties were present at the filing.
In a notable show of support from outside the NDA fold, AIADMK leader M. Thambi Durai also joined the delegation.
The Opposition, meanwhile, has put forward former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy as its candidate. Reddy is expected to file his nomination papers on Thursday after meeting Opposition MPs in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building. On Wednesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and other senior leaders will hold consultations with Reddy.
The Vice-Presidential election has shaped up as a contest between two prominent figures from southern India. Radhakrishnan, who rose through the ranks of the Sangh Parivar before being appointed Maharashtra Governor, will face Reddy, an Andhra Pradesh-born jurist best known for chairing the independent committee that reviewed the Telangana government’s caste survey for OBC enumeration.
With the NDA commanding a majority in Parliament, Radhakrishnan is widely seen as the frontrunner. The Vice President is elected by members of both Houses of Parliament through a secret ballot.
