Vice President Election: PM Modi To Host Dinner For NDA Leaders On September 8

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is gearing up for the Vice Presidential election on 9 September, focusing on full participation from its MPs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for all NDA MPs on September 8.

Their strategy involves workshops, state monitoring, and securing additional support to boost their vote share. The NDA is determined to ensure a decisive victory by mobilising all its 425 Members of Parliament.

NDA's Strategic Preparations

To guarantee complete attendance, the NDA has tasked Union Ministers and MPs with overseeing operations in each state. They are responsible for ensuring that all NDA MPs travel to Delhi to cast their votes. "To achieve 100 per cent attendance, the NDA has assigned Union Ministers and MPs to oversee operations in each state. They are responsible for ensuring that all NDA MPs travel to Delhi to cast their votes," party sources said.

The NDA nominee, CP Radhakrishnan, who previously served as the Governor of Maharashtra, will compete against Sudershan Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge and candidate from the INDIA bloc, in the elections scheduled for 9 September.

Workshops and Training Sessions

In preparation for the polls, the alliance plans to conduct workshops over three days to train MPs on the voting process. These sessions will cover how to correctly mark the ballot, use the pen provided by the Election Officer, and fold the ballot properly to avoid invalid votes. The focus is on minimising cross-voting and preventing invalid ballots since no whip applies in a secret ballot election.

The alliance is also working hard to consolidate additional support. The YSR Congress Party has already declared its backing, adding 11 MPs to the NDA's tally of 425-34 more than the required 391 votes for a win.

Efforts are underway to woo Odisha's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Telangana's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). While the BJD, with seven MPs, has yet to announce its decision, both the NDA and INDIA bloc are courting BRS by appealing for its support based on regional representation.

Vote Share Goals

Currently commanding about 55 per cent of the votes, the NDA aims to push this figure beyond 60 per cent. However, matching the record of the last Vice-Presidential election may be challenging. In 2022, NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar won with 74.4 per cent of the votes-the widest margin in history.

A total of 782 members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, are eligible to vote. A candidate needs at least 392 votes for victory if there is full turnout.

As preparations continue in earnest for this crucial election, every effort is being made by the NDA leadership to secure a favourable outcome through meticulous planning and strategic alliances.