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The election to the office of the Vice-President of India will take place today. According to Election Commission schedule the polling will take place between 1000 hours to 1700 hours. The counting of votes will also take place today itself. The contest is between BJP-led NDA nominee M Venkaiah Naidu and Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who has beenfielded by 18 opposition parties including the Congress, the Left and the regional parties. Going by the number game, the deck is in favour of Mr Naidu, a former BJP chief and a former Union Minister.The ruling BJP, which has a commanding strength of 281 MPs in Lok Sabha can claim support of about 335 members in the Lok Sabha and about 75 in the Rajya Sabha. Over 60 members from AIADMK, TRS and YSR Congress can also vote for Mr Naidu. The BJP camp is predictably jubilant and senior leaders have exuded confidence that Mr Naidu will be the country''s new Vice-President. The Vice-President of India is also ex-offico Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi, a kin of Mahatma Gandhi, sent in a post card to all MPs yesterday and sought their support. While there can be no whip for Presidential and election to the Vice President''s office, conventionally lawmakers generally go by the decision of the party and the alliances. The voting pattern of JD(U) MPs - 10 in Rajya Sabha and two in Lok Sabha - would be keenly watched this time. The Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had backed NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind in Presidential election and had said that it would - however - support the candidature of Gopalkrishna Gandhi for polls to the office of the Vice-President. There have been major political developments with regard JD(U) lately as the party leader Nitish Kumar had parted ways from RJD and Congress and formed an alternative government with BJP in Bihar. UNI DEVN AKC 0700 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1002134.Xml
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