A day after the BJP-led NDA named Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its Vice Presidential candidate, the Opposition bloc scrambled to finalize a challenger but failed to reach a consensus. Senior Opposition leaders met at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence late Monday night, but the huddle ended without a decision.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien, who was present, confirmed that another meeting would be held at Kharge’s residence at 12:30 pm on Tuesday. “Discussions are on, the Opposition is keen to field a common candidate, but more consultations are needed,” O’Brien told reporters.
The speculation all day revolved around DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, after his party strongly pitched for a Tamil Nadu candidate to counter Radhakrishnan, who also hails from the state. But sources indicated that the idea did not find unanimous backing, leaving the matter unresolved.
The meeting saw attendance from top Opposition figures including Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, TMC’s O’Brien, DMK MP Kanimozhi, and JMM MP Mahua Maji.
The Vice Presidential election was necessitated after Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned from the post on July 21, the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. The Election Commission has announced that nominations will remain open till August 21, with voting slated for September 9.
BJP chief JP Nadda, while unveiling Radhakrishnan’s name, appealed to Opposition parties to support him. Party insiders emphasized that the choice was deliberate — aimed at boosting BJP’s presence in Tamil Nadu, a state where the party is still struggling to expand. Radhakrishnan, a two-time MP from Coimbatore and former Tamil Nadu BJP president, is regarded as one of the party’s tallest leaders in the region.
For the Opposition, however, the arithmetic remains daunting. The NDA commands the support of 422 MPs in the 786-member electoral college, leaving little room for an upset. In 2022, the Opposition had backed former Congress leader Margaret Alva against Dhankhar, only to face defeat. This time, with the TMC stressing it does not want a “political face” for the post, the search for a joint nominee has become even more complicated.
