VP poll: PM Modi calls up Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar, KCR and others for support

Soon after M Venkaiah Naidu was named the NDA's vice president pick, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh and senior leaders including Sharad Pawar seeking their support, a source in the government said.

Modi sought the support of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, NCP leader Sharad Pawar and JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav, the source said. Several non-NDA parties had extended their support to its presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind.

The source said the prime minister hoped that given Naidu's experience, he would be acceptable to several political parties. Gopal Krishna Gandhi is the candidate of the opposition parties for the vice presidential poll on August 5.