As the nomination process for the Vice-Presidential election concluded on Saturday, the political atmosphere in the country has heated up, with both the NDA and the INDIA bloc treating the contest as prestigious.
The NDA, which enjoys a clear majority in the electoral college, is comfortably placed with its nominee C. P. Radhakrishnan.
Meanwhile, the Congress is scrambling to garner the support of neutral parties for the INDIA bloc’s candidate, B. Sudarshan Reddy.
In Andhra Pradesh, the NDA already has the backing of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP).
Nevertheless, it has also reached out to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), moving strategically to prevent neutral parties from drifting toward the INDIA bloc.
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh personally called former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to seek his support.
Following internal discussions, Jagan decided to back the NDA nominee. YSRCP parliamentary party leader Y V Subba Reddy and senior leader Botsa Satyanarayana have already confirmed the party’s stance.
The INDIA bloc’s decision to field a Telugu candidate is widely seen as a strategy to draw the major parties from the Telugu states into its fold.
Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy appealed to all regional parties to support Sudarshan Reddy, calling the contest a matter that “transcends politics.” In contrast, Andhra Pradesh Congress chief Y S Sharmila lambasted Jagan for siding with the NDA.
Amid these developments, an interesting twist emerged. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reportedly held key discussions with Y V Subba Reddy in New Delhi on Friday, urging YSRCP’s support for the INDIA bloc nominee.
Subba Reddy is said to have told Jairam Ramesh that the YSRCP had already pledged its support to the NDA candidate, making a reversal difficult. However, he assured the Congress leader that he would convey the request to party president Jagan Mohan Reddy.
According to sources, Jagan is scheduled to hold a special meeting with party MPs at Tadepalli on September 3. Political circles are now watching closely to see whether YSRCP will reconsider its stance or stick firmly with the NDA.