BJP likely to end suspense on VP candidate today

The BJP is likely to end suspense on the NDA candidate for the vice presidential poll on Monday — a day ahead of filing of nomination ends. Though there is no official confirmation, BJP sources said the party is likely to convene its parliamentary board meeting on Monday to announce the name of its nominee for the vice president’s election slated for August 5.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have, so far, kept names of the probables close to their hearts after they had consultations with the RSS, sources said.

A couple of days ago Shah had met with RSS second-in-command Suresh Bhaiyya ji Joshi and its pointsman with the BJP Krishna Gopal on the vice presidential election. With the numbers in its favour, the BJP is not in a hurry. Parliamentarians from both the Houses vote in vice presidential election.

In case of the Presidential poll, the NDA was ahead in announcing the name of former Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind as its choice to contest the poll against Meira Kumar — the nominee of the Opposition. But, in vice president’s election, the Opposition has announced Gopal Krishna Gandhi as its contender for the poll. Gandhi will file his nomination on the last day - July 18.

The BJP is keen to install its leader, most likely from the southern part of the country, as the next vice president after incumbent Hamid Ansari’s tenure comes to an end. BJP sources, however, stated that the prime minister is unlikely to spare its minister for the constitutional post since there is already a vacancy which is waiting to be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has allowed 14 Rajya Sabha members and 41 Lok Sabha MPs to vote in state legislative assemblies instead of Parliament on Monday.

On the other hand, it has given permission to Amit Shah, who remains an MLA in Gujarat, along with five others, to exercise his vote in Parliament. Four more MLAs have been given liberty to vote in other state legislative assemblies.