BJD, BRS and Akali Dal staying neutral in VP poll a jolt to BJP: Raut

Mumbai, Sep 9 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday claimed the decision of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and Shiromani Akali Dal to stay away from the vice presidential poll was a setback to the ruling BJP.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut asserted the Opposition INDIA bloc votes will remain intact in the poll and the fight will be eventful.

Voting was underway on Tuesday to elect a new vice president, for which the contest is between NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan and joint Opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy.

The Naveen Patnaik-headed BJD and the KCR-led BRS have abstained from voting in the vice presidential election, while the Shiromani Akali Dal said it will boycott the poll in the wake of floods in Punjab.

"The BJD, Akali Dal and BRS have consistently sided with the BJP government. These parties are not ready to vote for the NDA (in the vice presidential poll)," Raut said.

The Rajya Sabha member claimed there was pressure on these parties to vote for the NDA candidate, but they did not succumb to it.

"These parties staying neutral is a jolt to the BJP," the Opposition Sena (UBT) leader added.

In the morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to exercise his franchise for the poll.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a clear edge in the poll, necessitated due to the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, also took a dig at the BJP over holding the vice-presidential poll in "pitrupaksha" (a time considered as inauspicious).

It said that since Radhakrishan is a veteran RSS worker and staunch Hindutvavadi, the timing is surprising.

Members of both Houses of Parliament are eligible to cast their votes in the Parliament House between 10 am and 5 pm. Counting votes will begin at 6 pm, and the results will be announced late evening.

Members of Parliament are not bound by party whips to vote in the vice presidential election, which takes place under a secret ballot system.

The electoral college for the vice presidential election comprises a total of 788 members - 245 from the Rajya Sabha and 543 from the Lok Sabha. The 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to vote in the election.

The present strength of the electoral college is 781 as six seats are vacant in the Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha. This puts the majority mark at 391. The NDA has 425 MPs, while the Opposition camp has the backing of 324. PTI PR GK