The race for India’s next Vice President is gathering momentum ahead of voting on September 9, with both ruling and opposition camps strategizing over their picks. Sources indicate that the INDIA bloc is leaning toward fielding a non-Congress candidate in a bid to unify all opposition parties and consolidate anti-BJP votes.
The move is seen as an effort to avoid past mistakes. At least 11 votes from the Aam Aadmi Party are expected to play a role in the contest. A senior opposition leader, recalling the 2022 vice presidential election when Congress nominee Margaret Alva was rejected by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), said, “We cannot afford to repeat the same error.”
Key Opposition Leaders Meet Over Dinner at Rahul Gandhi’s Residence
On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi hosted a dinner meeting attended by prominent leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, and TMC MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien. CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby was also present, along with a total of 14 senior opposition figures.
According to insiders, the vice presidential election was a major topic of discussion during the gathering.
TMC Unlikely to Field Its Own Candidate
Another opposition leader claimed that the TMC has expressed reluctance to put forward its own nominee this time. Recently, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told the media that the INDIA alliance would make a collective decision on the candidate.
Push for a United Fight
Participants in Thursday’s meeting reportedly agreed that the bloc should fight the election as a united front. However, some leaders pointed out that while the NDA holds a numerical advantage in Parliament, the INDIA bloc must approach the contest on ideological grounds rather than expecting an easy victory.
The final decision on the opposition’s nominee is expected soon, as both camps gear up for an intense battle in the run-up to the September 9 polls.