New Delhi: With the BJP parliamentary board followed by the BJP led NDA set to meet on Sunday, speculation is rife that it might announce the vice presidential candidate on Sunday, with the names doing the rounds including that of Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla.
The Opposition's candidate for vice president, Gopalkrishna Gandhi files his nomination papers on Monday. The last day for filing of nominations for vice-presidential election is Tuesday.
As for the Presidential polls, the Opposition candidate, Ms Meira Kumar will be meeting leaders of 17 Opposition parties supporting her at Parliament House Annexe on Sunday evening. Opposition vice-presidential candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi will also be present.
The electoral arithmetic
NDA is likely to breast the tape comfortably in both Presidential and V-P polls. Several non NDA parties which include BJD, Indian National Lok Dal, YSR Congress, JD(U), TRS and AIADMK are supporting Kovind. A senior BJP leader claimed that the NDA has the support of 550 of the 788 MPs in the vice-presidential electoral college.The vice presidential electoral college comprises 543 Lok Sabha and 245 Rajya Sabha MPs.
