NEW DELHI: The INDIA bloc leaders will meet early next week to discuss the Vice Presidential candidate. According to leaders aware of the matter, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to call a meeting of floor leaders of Opposition parties early next week probably August 18 or 19 to discuss the name of a ‘joint candidate for the bloc. Sources said that Kharge has been holding backchannel talks with leaders of parties for a consensus candidate.As per the Election Commission notification, candidates can file their nominations by 21st of August while the scrutiny of the nominations will take place on the 22nd August, The last date of the withdrawal of candidature will be 25th of this month. The counting of the votes will be held on 9th September.At the INDIA bloc meeting last week hosted by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the parties have decided to contest the vice presidential poll after a collective decision on a common candidate. They have also decided to wait for the NDA to announce their candidate first.The leaders felt that the numbers are not overwhelmingly stacked against the opposition despite the BJP-led NDA having a majority. They said that there is a feeling that the opposition parties should not shy away from a contest to send a strong political message irrespective of the outcome. In a sudden move, Jagdeep Dhankhar quit as vice president on Monday evening citing medical reasons, though there have been consistent murmurs about other reasons behind his resignation.The effective strength of both the Houses together is 782 and the winning candidate will require to win 392 votes in the election for the vice president, considering all eligible voters exercise their franchise. All members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including the nominated ones, vote in the vice presidential poll.In Lok Sabha, while the BJP-led NDA enjoys the support of 293 members in the 542-member House, the INDIA bloc has 234 members.The ruling alliance has the support of about 130 members in Rajya Sabha that has an effective strength of 240, assuming that the nominated members vote in support of the NDA nominee.
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