Patna, Aug 18 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday welcomed the BJP’s decision to field Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan as the NDA’s candidate for the post of Vice President of India.
In a social media post, CM Nitish Kumar said, “The decision to make Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan the NDA candidate for the post of Vice President is welcome. JDU will support C.P. Radhakrishnan. Best wishes to him.”
The statement carries political weight, as the JD(U) has 12 MPs in the Lok Sabha and four MPs in the Rajya Sabha, all of whom will back the NDA nominee during the Vice Presidential election.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also congratulated Radhakrishnan following the announcement by BJP national president and Union Minister J.P. Nadda.
“Hearty congratulations and best wishes to C.P. Radhakrishnan on being declared the NDA candidate for the post of Vice President. Your experience, dedication and leadership will be a constant source of inspiration in the national interest,” Choudhary posted.
The NDA’s choice of Radhakrishnan has been seen as a move aimed at consolidating wider support, with allies like JD(U) publicly reaffirming their commitment.
The Vice President of India is elected through an electoral college comprising members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Currently, the numerical strength favours the NDA.
The combined strength of the two Houses is 786 members, though the figure is slightly reduced as six members, including the Lok Sabha MP from Barasat, West Bengal, have resigned.
To secure victory, a candidate requires at least 394 votes. With 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha (out of 542) and 129 MPs in the Rajya Sabha (out of 240), the NDA already enjoys a strong majority, making the victory of its nominee, C.P. Radhakrishnan, almost certain.
The Vice Presidential election was necessitated following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21 this year, citing health reasons.
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