Mumbai, Aug 18 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday called upon MPs from the state cutting across party lines, specially from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), to support Governor CP Radhakrishnan’s candidature for the post of vice president.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday named Radhakrishnan (67), a seasoned BJP leader belonging to a key OBC caste from Tamil Nadu with an RSS background, as its vice-presidential candidate.
Talking to reporters, Fadnavis said even though Radhakrishnan belongs to Tamil Nadu, he is a registered voter in Mumbai and cast his vote here in the last year’s Maharashtra assembly polls.
“When he files his nomination for the vice president’s post, he will mention that he is a registered voter in Mumbai. It is a matter of great pride for Maharashtra,” he said.
Fadnavis said political parties like the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), which espouse Maharashtra’s “asmita” (pride), should support Radhakrishnan’s candidature.
Replying to a question, the CM said he would request Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar to support Radhakrishnan, considering he is the state’s governor and a voter from Mumbai.
The electoral college for poll to the post of Vice President of India consists of all members of both Houses of Parliament.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine Lok Sabha and two Rajya Sabha members, while the NCP (SP) has 10 Lok Sabha and two Rajya Sabha members.
With the NDA enjoying the support of at least 422 members in the electoral college of 781 MPs, Radhakrishnan’s victory in any contest against the Opposition is a foregone conclusion. The majority mark is 391.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis paid a courtesy visit to Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.
Radhakrishnan later left for New Delhi.
At the airport here, Fadnavis, accompanied by state Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, presented to the governor a book containing the unpublished letters of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a release from the Raj Bhavan said.
BJP president J P Nadda on Sunday made the announcement about Radhakrishnan’s candidature for the vice president’s post following a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and consultation with the party’s allies.
Nadda appealed for unanimous election of Radhakrishnan (67), an OBC leader and two-time former Lok Sabha member from Coimbatore, to the constitutional position, saying BJP leaders had spoken to the opposition parties over the last week and will reach out to them again. PTI MR GK
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