Opposition banks on 'inner voice' as it braces for numerical fight in Veep polls

With the NDA pulling in all strings for the election of the Vice President, the INDIA bloc faces a challenge to put up a decent fight and is looking to woo the dark horses and fence sitters to pep up its numbers by invoking 'antar atma ki awaaz (inner conscience)'.

Even as the odds are stacked against the opposition, the Congress, by pitching in Justice Sudarshan Reddy, former Supreme Court judge and first Lokayukta of Goa, wants to ensure the lines are clearly defined as far as the ideological battle is concerned.

In the last leg of the campaign, Reddy issued a video appeal in a bid to reach out to the other side. The LoP in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, was to host an opposition dinner on the eve of the polling in Parliament, however it was cancelled due to the grim flood situation in Punjab.

NUMERICAL FIGHT vs MORAL FIGHT

In fact, it was clear from the start as the NDA fielded C.P. Radhakrishnan, Maharashtra Governor and senior BJP leader from the southern state of Tamil Nadu, that the opposition would be giving a candidate from the South. However, with the Thiru versus Garu fight being more symbolic than numerical, it's the dark horses that could well embarrass either side.

This time round, the INDIA bloc is optimistic of gathering some additional numbers as it is trying to woo parties like the YSRCP by using the Telugu pride pitch. Sudarshan Reddy even met Jagan Mohan Reddy, who expressed his inability to support him as Jagan had already given his word to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh by extending support to the NDA candidate.

However, the opposition is hoping to read between the lines as he praised Justice Sudarshan Reddy for making significant contributions to the protection of the Constitution and safeguarding the spirit of democracy, and requested that his inability to support the retired judge's candidature should not be misunderstood.

The opposition is hoping that the lines could blur and is invoking the 'voice of the inner conscience' to reach out to fence sitters. Congress leader Manickam Tagore was quick to invoke the rivalry between TDP and YSRCP upon the release of MP Mithun Reddy, accused in the liquor scam.

"Now with interim bail, he is free for a brief moment not because justice was served, but because he has to cast his vote in the Vice Presidential election. The real suspense: Will he vote for the TDP/BJP's candidate who sent him to jail? Or vote for Justice Sudarshan Reddy who is fighting to protect the Constitution?" he wrote on social media platform X. The YSRCP has a total of 7 MPs in both Houses and a dip of a few could impact the overall tally.

THE NUMBERS STACKED AGAINST OPPOSITION

The contest is being watched keenly, but the numbers appear to be tilted heavily in favour of the ruling coalition.

The numbers game:

• Total MPs eligible to vote: 781
• Majority mark required: 392
• Lok Sabha - 542 (excluding Speaker)
• NDA: 298
• Opposition: 234
• Others: 10
• Rajya Sabha - 245 - 6 = 239
• NDA: 132
• Opposition: 77
• Others: 30

WHICH SIDE WILL THE DARK HORSES GO?

The BRS has 4 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. However, the Congress has done little to reach out to KCR. Earlier, when India Today spoke to Mr. Sudarshan Reddy, had invoked Telugu pride and praised BRS chief KCR in a bid to win his support. They could probably abstain, thereby enabling the NDA to consolidate its margin of victory.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD), with 7 MPs in Rajya Sabha, has kept its cards close to its chest. A senior leader of the party said that the final call would be taken by BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, who is incidentally in the national capital.

"We have not yet been informed about which candidate to vote for. Our leader is in Delhi, and whatever call he takes, we will abide by it," said a BJD MP. It is noteworthy that last time during the voting on the Waqf Amendment Bill, the BJD had not issued any diktat and left it to the MPs to vote according to their inner voice.

In an interesting development, in a rare turn of events, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has extended support to Mr. Sudarshan Reddy under the call for preserving the Constitution.

Apparently, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also reached out to him. The Azad Party chief, Chandrashekhar Azad, has also expressed solidarity on the matter of the Constitution. Both are the lone voices of their parties in the Lok Sabha.

During the last Vice President election in August 2022, where NDA's Jagdeep Dhankhar was pitched against the opposition's Margaret Alva, the latter got 182 votes while 55 MPs abstained from voting, leading her to make the charge of not receiving enough support from within the opposition itself. The stage is all set for a battle of prestige.

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