Vice Presidential Election 2022: JMM to support Margaret Alva

New Delhi, Aug 03: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has extended support to the opposition's joint vice presidential candidate Margaret Alva.

In a statement, party supremo Shibu Soren asked its parliamentarians to vote in favour of former Union minister Alva during the elections scheduled to take place on August 6.

"After due consideration the party has decided to vote in the favor of Mrs. Margaret Alva. All the MPs are directed to vote in the favour of the Mrs Alva in the Vice Presidential election", the party said in a statement.

The JMM has 3 MPs- 2 in the Rajya Sabha and 1 in the Lok Sabha.

Notably, JMM, earlier supported NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu for the Presidential polls, snubbing Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.

"As everyone is aware that former Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu, an Adivasi woman, is a candidate in the upcoming Presidential polls. This is the first time since independence that an Adivasi woman could have the honour of becoming the President of the country." the party had said at that time.

In a letter to all members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, who form the electoral college, Congress leader Margaret Alva said on Monday said the vice president's election must be seen as a referendum on the manner in which Parliament is being run and the breakdown in the fundamental democratic process of building consensus on important national issues.

Alva, 80, has a political career spanning over four decades during which she occupied several positions including a five-time Congress MP, a union minister and then governor.

The NDA has fielded former governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as its nominee for the vice presidential election.