With just one day to go before the Vice-Presidential election, the two neutral parties—the Indian National Committee (BRS) led by K Chandrashekhar Rao and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) led by Naveen Patnaik—have announced their decision to abstain from voting. It should be noted that both these parties are not part of any national alliance, neither the NDA nor the INDIA block. Currently, BRS has 4 and BJD has 7 members in the Rajya Sabha. They have no members in the Lok Sabha.
Both parties have clarified that they will maintain an equal distance from both the NDA and the INDIA block and will not participate in the voting for the Vice-Presidential election. BRS Executive President K T Rama Rao stated on Monday that the decision not to participate in the Vice-Presidential election is an expression of the plight of Telangana's farmers due to the shortage of urea in the state.
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If NOTA were an option, we would choose it: BRS
They accused both the BJP and Congress of failing to resolve the issue of urea shortage. He pointed out that the situation is so severe that it has led to scuffles among farmers standing in queues. KTR expressed that if NOTA (None Of The Above) had been an available option in the Vice-Presidential election, BRS would have opted for it.
We maintain distance from NDA and INDIA Block: BJD
BJD leader Sasmit Patra mentioned that the party's priority is the 45 million people of Odisha. Patra noted, 'After discussions with our party president Naveen Patnaik, senior leaders, the political affairs committee, and MPs, Biju Janata Dal decided to abstain from the Vice-Presidential election happening tomorrow. BJD maintains an equal distance from both the NDA and the INDIA block. Our focus is on the development and welfare of Odisha and its 45 million people.'
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Voting for the Vice-Presidential election on September 9
The Vice-Presidential election will commence at 10 am and conclude at 5 pm on September 9. The INDIA block has fielded Justice (retired) B Sudarshan Reddy as their candidate, while the NDA has chosen CP Radhakrishnan. The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college comprising members from both houses of Parliament. The election is governed by the provisions of Articles 64 and 68 of the Constitution. The Vice-President's position became vacant on July 21 after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned citing health reasons on the first day of the monsoon session of the Parliament.
