Following the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Election Commission has set the wheels in motion for electing India’s next Vice President, with a formal notification already issued. However, the ruling NDA alliance is yet to declare its nominee, triggering a flurry of speculation in political corridors. Among the names doing the rounds, JD(U) leader and Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur has emerged as a strong contender, especially after his closed-door meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda in Delhi.

Ram Nath Thakur, currently serving as Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in the Modi government, is the son of late Karpoori Thakur — a socialist icon and former Chief Minister of Bihar who was recently awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously. Thakur has a long political legacy, having served as a cabinet minister in Bihar from 2005 to 2010 during the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government.

His sudden prominence in the VP race comes at a strategically significant time. With the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled later this year, his potential nomination could be aimed at reinforcing the BJP-JD(U) alliance and making inroads into the state’s critical EBC (Extremely Backward Classes) vote bank. Ram Nath Thakur’s clean political image, socialist background, and symbolic lineage add further weight to his name.

Although reports have suggested that the JP Nadda-Thakur meeting was primarily centered on the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the timing and optics of the meeting have fueled speculation that it had broader political undertones.

Thakur’s possible elevation is being seen as a tactical move by the NDA to project inclusivity and social justice at the national level while consolidating caste-based support at the state level. His nomination, if confirmed, could put the Opposition in a tight spot, as opposing the son of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur may carry political risks.