Opposition holds mock poll ahead of VP election, Brittas says 'process ensures fewer invalid votes'

CPI(M) MP John Brittas, speaking after the exercise, urged MPs to prepare and avoid common mistakes during the actual voting.

He said, "The polling is between 10 and 5, all the MP's are a part of it. The is already a letter sent by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretary General repectively to all the MP's. We may have to carry that letter. Because there is a number there given to us. So it would be easy for us to understand where we are."

Brittas said MPs should carefully follow instructions to ensure their votes are counted.

"Once you get that form, once you are ushered into the polling booth, you need to put 1 or 2. For us, against our candidate, we will put 1. Nothing else. If you tick, if you put a mark, if you write something else, it will be invalid. Further, you shouldn't use your own pen. There will be a pen given by the returning officer's side. You should use that pen for your marking. After that, fold it and keep it," he said.

The CPI (M) MP said the exercise was meant to help MPs avoid errors on polling day.

"Why we have a mock poll is that, many a time, for most of the elections, there have been 10, 15, 20 invalid votes. We MPs claim that we are well groomed to be participants in such democratic process. But maybe because of our over-enthusiasm, we fudge and many of us lose our valid votes. So, in order to avoid that, all the opposition MPs, most of the opposition MPs, have converged here and participated in the mock poll," he said.

On the prospects of their candidate former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy, Brittas termed the contest "a political ideological battle."

He added, "We feel that others who support our views also will. And it's a secret ballot. Let's see."

Responding to a query on cross-voting, he said, "Every election, there are few people who vote as per their orientation, as per their desire. And we feel that we have put up a good candidate. So, he can win away some votes."

Meanwhile, Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, will host a dinner for the INDIA bloc MPs on Monday evening at the Parliament Annexe, a day before the voting for the Vice-Presidential election.

The meeting is to reinforce the opposition's unity and support for their VP candidate, B Sudershan Reddy, who is also supported by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

The Vice Presidential post fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 21, citing health reasons. The election of the Vice President is governed by the provisions under Articles 64 and 68 of the Constitution. The Election Commission notifies the VP polls by the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.

As per Article 66(1) of the Constitution of India, the election of the Vice President shall be held by the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote, and the voting at such election shall be by secret ballot. (ANI)