New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) Opposition leaders will meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence here on Monday evening to discuss a joint candidate for the vice-president’s post.
Defence Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh has also reached out to the leaders of some opposition parties, including Kharge, who is the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, for unanimously electing the new vice-president.
Sources said the opposition wants to field a non-political face who has national standing and stature for the second-highest constitutional position in the country.
The sources said senior DMK leaders have proposed the name of an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist, who hails from Tamil Nadu and is well respected, for the vice-president’s post.
The name of senior DMK leader Tiruchi Siva is also doing the rounds, but discussions are yet to be held with other opposition leaders.
Siva, however, refused to comment, saying his leadership will take a call on the issue.
NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan hails from Tamil Nadu, which will go to polls in 2026.
Senior leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi, are likely to attend the meeting, which comes a day after the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced Maharashtra Governor Radhakrishnan as its nominee for the vice-president’s post.
The sources added that other senior leaders, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, could join the deliberations online, while other senior leaders like Akhilesh Yadav are likely to attend it in person.
While the ruling BJP feels that the nomination of Radhakrishnan, a seasoned leader with an RSS background, will elicit support from the wider opposition, especially the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, it remains to be seen what stand the opposition parties take.
BJP president J P Nadda, while announcing the nomination of Radhakrishnan after a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board on Sunday, said the NDA will speak to the opposition parties to arrive at a consensus for the vice-presidential election.
The Congress-led INDIA bloc earlier announced its decision to field a joint “non-political” candidate for the election.
The vice-presidential election, necessitated by the sudden resignation of incumbent Jagdeep Dhankhar last month, is scheduled for September 9. The last date for filing nominations is August 21. PTI SKC RC
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