Key Points

“I had received a call from the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who sought our party’s support for NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan in the Vice Presidential election. However, I have told him that it will not be possible as it will be ideologically against.” He further added that CM Fadnavis had also contacted Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray seeking his support.

The NCP (SP) leader stated, “The election for the post of Vice President is being held. For this, we (INDIA Bloc) have held meetings and discussed two to three names, and later everybody agreed on the nomination of former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy, who has already filed his nomination papers.”

Pawar further said, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also said that Radhakrishnan is the Maharashtra Governor and the voter. Therefore, he requested me to extend support. However, I said it was not possible, because he is ideologically different.”

He recalled that when Radhakrishnan was the Jharkhand governor, Chief Minister Hemant Somen’s arrest took place at the Raj Bhavan, where the central investigation agency came and arrested the latter. This is despite Soren’s appeal not to arrest him. “Our party cannot support the person who uses power in such a manner; he cannot be supported,” Pawar added.

“Even if the ruling NDA alliance has more votes, we will see it, but on the request of the Chief Minister, I have informed that party cannot support Radhakrishnan. I spoke to Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut, and he also discussed it. At that time, he also informed that his decision and ours are the same (Shiv Sena UBT cannot support Radhakrishnan), said Pawar. He expressed confidence regarding the Vice Presidential election, saying that the result will be different.

CM Fadnavis said, "I spoke to Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar regarding the Vice Presidential election. I requested them to support the Governor of Maharashtra, who is himself a voter of Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray told me that he will discuss with his party leaders before making a decision, while Sharad Pawar said that since the opposition party has its own candidate, he will be with them."

Radhakrishnan was selected as the NDA's candidate on Sunday. The announcement was made by BJP president JP Nadda during a press conference following the party's Parliamentary Board meeting held in the national capital.

Radhakrishnan has previously served as a Member of Parliament and as Governor of Jharkhand and Telangana. A veteran BJP leader, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore twice and previously served as the Tamil Nadu BJP State President. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his "dedication, humility, and intellect".

Meanwhile, Pawar heaped praise on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his “vote chori” campaign in Bihar, saying yesterday the first struggle took place against the ‘Emergency’ in Bihar. “Rahul Gandhi is being praised in Bihar, which is a state with economic problems and other state-specific issues. Rahul Gandhi is getting a huge response in Bihar. However, politically, Bihar is conscious,” he said.

Pawar raised questions on the efficiency of the Election Commission, saying that the poll panel did not take the stand it should have taken.

“We do not expect much from the Election Commission. Rahul Gandhi brought all this truth to the fore, but it started in Bihar. According to Rahul Gandhi, 140 people are living in one house in a slum,” he noted. “The Election Commission is not doing its work properly. We are studying the voter list,” said Pawar.

- IANS