New Delhi; The countdown for the Vice-Presidential election, scheduled on September 9, has begun with unexpected tremors shaking the ruling BJP’s confidence. Until recently, the party managers were confident of a smooth victory for their nominee, C. P. Radhakrishnan, but a sudden turn of events has made the contest far more uncertain than anticipated.
At the centre of the drama is Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. With 16 Lok Sabha MPs, Naidu’s position is crucial for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). While Naidu had, at the end of August, personally assured Union Home Minister Amit Shah of his party’s full backing for Radhakrishnan, the BJP camp has been rattled by his latest moves.
According to sources, Naidu was urged to travel to Delhi this week for a final round of consultations on the election plan. However, in a surprising snub, the veteran leader deputed his son, Nara Lokesh, to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, skipping the trip himself at the last moment. Insiders in the TDP admit there are divisions within the party ranks. The complication arises from the fact that the Opposition’s candidate, retired Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, is not only a prominent Telugu figure but also a long-time associate and well-wisher of Naidu.
For the BJP, this personal equation poses a real challenge. Several Congress leaders are reportedly in touch with Naidu, trying to persuade him to loosen his commitment to the NDA. Adding to the unease in the ruling camp are reports of an unprecedented degree of opposition unity behind Justice Reddy’s candidature.
Top BJP strategists, including Modi and Shah, are leaving nothing to chance. Every BJP parliamentarian has been strongly instructed to be present at the Prime Minister’s dinner on September 8, the eve of polling. The dinner is seen as both a show of unity and a last-minute rallying effort to ensure no dissension or absenteeism creeps in during voting.
The stakes are high. The Vice-Presidential poll, usually a one-sided affair, has suddenly turned into a litmus test of the NDA’s internal cohesion and the Opposition’s ability to mobilize across party lines. With Naidu’s unpredictable positioning and the Opposition pushing hard, the September 9 election may spring surprises far beyond conventional calculations.
C. P. Radhakrishnan , B. Sudershan Reddy
