Opposition parties, who are already feeling the heat from Naidu, desperately want the post to go to their choice of candidate.
The ruling NDA and opposition parties began hectic parleys to elect the deputy chairman for Rajya Sabha on Monday with Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu announcing August 9 as the date of election.
The Deputy Chairman's election has become a prestige issue of sorts for both the factions. Opposition parties, who are already feeling the heat from Naidu, desperately want the post to go to their choice of candidate. Moreover, a victory could also add to their morale ahead of 2019 polls.
Though, the vote arithmetic favours the opposition parties that have a combined strength of 114, including PDP of Jammu and Kashmir, it still fall 8 short from the halfway mark of 122 votes.
On the other hand, the NDA with 90 votes in its kitty is 32 short of half way mark thus making the fence sitters — AIADMK, BJD, Shiv Sena, TRS and YSR Congress — a deciding factor.
Congress sources said the BJP told them about the party's choice — JD(U)'s Harivansh Narayan Singh. But the party has decided to go ahead with the contest, they added.
From the Opposition camp, DMK's Tiruchi Siva and NCP's Vandana Chavan have been touted as front runners. However, the Congress said that stress will be on winnability, thus hinting at the possibility of proposing its own candidate.
Several Opposition leaders who met to work out a consensus will meet again on Tuesday to finalise their candidate.
All eyes are now on the MPs of fence sitter parties. The Opposition is not ruling out possibility of a split in AIADMK votes as the party does not have a chief whip in the Upper House. There are also chances of 9 BJD MPs opting to abstain.
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