NDA Nominee Radhakrishnan Files Nomination for V-P Election

New Delhi: NDA vice-presidential candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the September 9 election in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union home minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders. Mr Modi, flanked by Mr Radhakrishnan and senior NDA leaders, handed over four sets of nomination papers to Rajya Sabha secretary general P.C. Mody, who is the returning officer for the vice-presidential election.

The Opposition bloc has fielded former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy in next month's vice-presidential election against Mr Radhakrishnan. The NDA has the support of the required number of MPs to get its nominee elected.

“Along with ministers, party colleagues and NDA leaders, accompanied Thiru C.P. Radhakrishnan as he filed his nomination for the post of vice-president of India. The NDA family is confident that he will be an outstanding V-P and will enrich our journey towards national progress,” the Prime Minister posted on X.

The defence minister praised the NDA V-P nominee for his “humility, knowledge of the Constitution and legislative affairs”.

Noting that the NDA nominee has worked at the grassroots level and has experience of different constitutional roles, BJP president J.P. Nadda said Mr Radhakrishnan has always placed the nation first.

The four sets of nomination papers that the Prime Minister handed over to the Rajya Sabha secretary general have Mr Modi, Mr Singh, Mr Shah and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh as lead proposers. A prospective vice-presidential candidate is required to get his nomination paper subscribed to by at least 20 electors as proposers and at least another 20 electors as seconders. The NDA ensured representation of all its constituents as proposers and seconders in the four sets of nomination papers that were filed.

The returning officer examined the nomination papers, following which Mr Radhakrishnan signed a register. The returning officer then handed over an acknowledgement slip of the nomination papers to the Prime Minister.

Mr Modi, Mr Shah, senior ministers Pralhad Joshi, Dharmendra Pradhan and other NDA leaders, including TDP leader and Union minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde, JD(S)’s H.D. Kumaraswamy, LJSP(RV) leader Chirag Paswan, escorted Mr Radhakrishnan to the office of the returning officer in Parliament.

Earlier, Mr Radhakrishan paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and other national leaders at Prerna Sthal, which houses statues of iconic personalities, in the Parliament complex. He was accompanied by Union ministers and other leaders from the BJP-led alliance. He also paid a visit to JD(S) patriarch and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda in the evening.

The electoral college for the vice-presidential elections comprises members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to cast their votes.

The effective strength of the electoral college is 781 and the majority mark is 391. The ruling NDA enjoys the support of at least 422 members. Non-INDIA bloc parties such as the YSRCP have already announced support for the NDA nominee.