Leaders of several Opposition parties on Monday held a meeting in Parliament complex in a show of unity on the eve of the vice presidential election. Top leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, TMC, RJD, JMM, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), CPI and CPI-M met in the central hall of Samvidhan Sadan (Old Parliament Building) and were briefed about the election process on Tuesday, in which members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are eligible to vote. While SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav welcomed all those present, Congress leader and chief whip of the Congress in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh informed the MPs about the procedure for voting.
The vice-presidential poll has been described by the Opposition as an ideological battle, even as the numbers are stacked in favour of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Sources said the Opposition MPs were told to ensure their vote is not wasted, as some votes were declared invalid last time. The MPs also participated in a mock poll for Tuesday’s election to enable MPs to experience the voting process.
The MPs will be handed out ballot papers containing the names of the two contesting candidates and will have to mark their preference by writing the figure ‘1’ opposite the name of the candidate of their choice.
Among the leaders who attended the meeting in Samvidhan Sadan were Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar and DMK leader TR Baalu.
Meanwhile, the NDA also held a meeting of their MPs to brief them on the election process. The members also participated in a mock poll.
On Sunday, AIMIM decided to support the Opposition candidate in the election. Ruling NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan and joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy are pitted against each other in a direct contest for the vice-presidential election.
The electoral college for the vice presidential election comprises a total of 788 members — 245 from the Rajya Sabha and 543 from the Lok Sabha. The 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to vote in the election.