Hope their conscience wakes up: Oppn MPs on Vice-Presidential polls

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) As the voting for the Vice Presidential election began in the New Parliament Building on Tuesday, senior leaders from the opposition INDIA bloc expressed cautious optimism and hope that some MPs from the ruling NDA would vote with a sense of moral responsibility.

Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi said the election presents a difficult challenge but not an impossible one. “It’s a tough fight. On one side, there's a party in power that uses every means to win elections, and on the other, there's our INDIA bloc. I hope BJP leaders will hear the purity of their souls and vote without any other intention. We hope our candidate will win,” he told reporters outside Parliament.

Opposition nominee and former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy is contesting against NDA candidate and Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan. The winner will succeed Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned earlier this year due to health concerns.

The voting will continue till 5 p.m., with counting scheduled after 6 p.m. The electoral college comprises 781 MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The majority mark to win is 391.

Imran Masood, senior Congress leader, said the election was a battle for India’s democratic soul. “This election is about saving the nation’s soul. Let’s see whose conscience wakes up. If NDA allies awaken their inner voice, the country’s freedom will be saved. We hope for a fair win.”

Another Congress MP, Amar Singh, was brief and confident: “Our candidate Sudarshan Reddy will definitely win.”

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the opposition is banking on possible cross-voting from NDA allies and independent MPs, framing the contest as a test of moral courage rather than just party loyalty.

As voting continues, all eyes are now on the evening count that will determine who will occupy the second-highest constitutional office in India.

--IANS

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