New Delhi— The race for India’s Vice-Presidency formally began on Wednesday as Maharashtra Governor and NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan filed his nomination papers for the September 9 election.
Before filing his nomination, Radhakrishnan paid floral tributes at Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House complex. He was then escorted to the new Parliament building by a strong delegation of NDA leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The nomination papers were submitted in the office of Returning Officer P C Mody, Secretary General of Rajya Sabha.
Four sets of papers were filed, with the Prime Minister himself leading as the chief proposer in the first set. The show of unity was evident as senior ministers and representatives of all NDA allies stood alongside Radhakrishnan. Interestingly, AIADMK leader M Thambi Durai, whose party is not formally aligned with the NDA, also joined the delegation in a gesture of goodwill.
Meanwhile, the Opposition’s candidate, jurist B Sudarshan Reddy, is expected to file his nomination on Thursday. Ahead of this, he is scheduled to meet MPs from across Opposition parties in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building on Wednesday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and several other leaders will extend their support during the interaction.
This Vice-Presidential contest is notable for being a battle between two prominent leaders from South India. Radhakrishnan, a Tamil Nadu-born RSS leader who rose through the ranks of the Sangh Parivar before taking charge as Maharashtra Governor, now represents the NDA. On the other side, Sudarshan Reddy, an Andhra Pradesh-born jurist, is known for heading the expert committee that validated the caste survey conducted by the Telangana government under Congress rule.
The election on September 9 will therefore not only decide the successor to the second highest constitutional office in the country but will also mark a significant Southern face-off in national politics.
