New Delhi: Opposition parties on Sunday announced that Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan governor Margaret Alva will be their vice-presidential candidate. The decision was taken at a meeting that was held at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence. Making the announcement after the meeting, Pawar said that 17 Opposition parties have unanimously decided on her name. The announcement comes a day after the BJP-led NDA said West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will be their VP candidate.
Delhi | Opposition’s candidate for the post of Vice President of India to be Margaret Alva: NCP chief Sharad Pawar pic.twitter.com/qkwyf7FMOw
– ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2022
The meeting, which began at 3pm, was attended by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK’s TR Baalu, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, CPI leader D Raja, CPI leader Binoy Viswam, MDMK leader Vaiko, TRS member Keshav Rao, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, IUML member ET Mohammed Basheer and RJD’s Amarendra Dhari Singh. However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipped the meeting. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also did not attend the opposition meeting.
Notably, Alva will be filing her nomination on July 19 for the vice-presidential elections that will be held on August 6 and the counting will take place on the same day.
It is to be noted that the term of office of Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu is ending on August 10. This will be the 16th Vice-Presidential election in the country.