Opposition to wait and watch before naming Vice President pick

NEW DELHI: The opposition parties have decided to field a joint candidate to contest against the government’s nominee for the Vice-President’s post. However, unlike the Presidential elections where the opposition parties came together and declared Yashwant Sinha as their joint candidate even before the NDA had announced Droupadi Murmu’s name, this time the opposition camp has decided to finalise their candidate only after the ruling alliance announces the name that it proposes for the post, according to sources.
The opposition wants to ensure its candidate matches the stature and profile of the NDA nominee, so that the contest does not become onesided as it seems to be happening with the Presidential race as Murmu’s credentials as a tribal and a woman have made parties from the rival camp switch sides. Hence, the opposition hopes to challenge the ruling alliance for the VP contest.
While there is no word yet on who they have in mind, several opposition party leaders are in touch with each other since they came together for the Presidential contest, it is learnt.
While Congress, TMC, Left parties, DMK, RJD, SP, among others, have decided to go together, Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao has also joined the camp and is learnt to have been calling up other opposition leaders for the exercise and also for floor coordination in Parliament during the monsoon session to take on the Modi government. According to an opposition party leader, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s BJD seems to be clearly with the ruling NDA and hence will not be approached for the VP polls.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has also not revealed his cards and has not responded to overtures from the opposition.