New Delhi. The notification for the Vice Presidential election was issued on Tuesday. July 19 is the last date for nominations. Voting will be held on August 6. The results will also come only on August 6. With this, the discussion about the names of candidates in NDA and UPA has intensified. Speculations are rife that like Draupadi Murmu, the BJP can surprise everyone with the name of the Vice Presidential candidate. At the same time, the opposition has also started preparing a strategy to field a strong candidate this time.

What is the preparation of the BJP?
We contacted a BJP national-level leader to understand the BJP’s strategy for its Vice Presidential candidate. He said it is clear that the candidate for the Vice President will be from any state of North, West, or North-East India. He said that churning is going on in different names of these states. There has never been a woman Vice President in the history of the country. It is possible that this time history will be made. Meet Draupadi Murmu as the woman and the first tribal president. At the same time, a woman also sat on the Vice President’s chair. If this happens then it will be a new record. This will be the first time that both the President and the Vice President will be a woman in the country. Professor of Political Science Dr. Ajay Singh said BJP’s decision can be a little different in the case of the Vice President also. Looking at the current equation, BJP is considering candidates from three to four different categories.

1. To date, no woman in the country has reached the post of Vice President. In such a situation, discussions are going on in the name of former Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Uma Bharti, former Governor of Manipur Najma Heptulla, former Chief Minister of Gujarat, and present Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel. Apart from this, churning is also going on in the name of famous women of West Bengal. That is because, after the defeat of TMC in the assembly elections, BJP wants to be strong again here. Apart from Madhya Pradesh, the influence of Uma Bharti is also visible in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand. At the same time, Najma is the granddaughter of the country’s first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. She remained in Congress for a long time. BJP can have two advantages by forwarding Najma’s name. The first is that he is a Muslim. The second is that she is a woman. Similarly, the name of Anandiben Patel is also discussed. Anandiben is the former Chief Minister of Gujarat. Presently she is the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Anandiben is also one of the close associates of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

2. To date there has not been any Sikh Vice President in the country. In such a situation, BJP can make a Sikh face as the Vice President. He can get the benefit of this in states like Punjab and Haryana. In this, the name of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is discussed the most. The Punjabi face can also be from Delhi. BJP can get the benefit of this in Delhi also.

3. Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu is tribal. In such a situation, an OBC or general category face can be made a candidate for the Vice President. Due to this, along with the region, the caste equation can also sit.

4. To date no one from North East has become President or Vice President. In such a situation, BJP is also considering that this time someone from North East should be made the Vice President. If it happens, it will also be history. Assembly elections are to be held in six North-East states in the next two years. These include Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. If BJP makes a candidate from North East, then it can get its benefit in elections also.

5. In the presidential election, speculations were being made that this time a Muslim face can be made a BJP candidate. However, this did not happen. Now the discussion is that BJP can play bets on Muslim face in the Vice Presidential election. In this, the names of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are the most discussed. Apart from this, BJP is also eyeing some Muslim leaders. Recently, in the BJP’s national executive meeting, it has also been decided that work will be done to connect the Pasmanda Muslims with the party. Most of the Pasmandas in India are Muslims. Their number is more and these people are also the poorest and backward. In such a situation, it is also possible that this time a Pasmanda Muslim may be made the BJP Vice Presidential candidate. With this, the allegation of the BJP being anti-Muslim in the world will also be erased and BJP will be able to strengthen the support of Pasmanda Muslims.

What is the opposition’s strategy?
Like the BJP, the opposition has also started preparing a strategy for the post of Vice President. A veteran Congress leader says on the condition of anonymity, “This time Congress will lead the opposition for the Vice Presidential election. TMC had started in the presidential election. Due to this, there were many problems in the selection of candidates and in uniting the opposition parties. Now a strategy is being made to ensure that this does not happen in the Vice Presidential election. Congress leaders further say, this time we will select the candidate by making all the opposition parties sit together. Last time many parties were left out by TMC. This time we won’t do that. Will take their opinion by taking the smallest opposition party along.

1. Members of both the Houses of Parliament vote: The Vice-President is elected by the system of proportional representation through an electoral college consisting of members of both the Houses of Parliament. Members of both the Houses of Parliament participate in it. In the Presidential election, MLAs vote along with the elected MPs, but in the Vice-President election, only the MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha can vote.

2. Nominated MPs can also vote: Nominated MPs cannot vote in Presidential elections, but this is not the case in Vice Presidential elections. Such members can also vote in the Vice Presidential election. In this way, 790 electors of both houses participate in the Vice Presidential election. In this, apart from 233 elected members of Rajya Sabha and 12 nominated members, 543 elected members of Lok Sabha and two nominated Lok Sabha members vote. In this way, their total number becomes 790.

Who can contest the election of Vice President?
1. Be a citizen of India.
2. Must have completed 35 years of age.
3. He should fulfill the qualifications for being elected to the Rajya Sabha.
4. He should be a voter of the Parliamentary Constituency in that State or Union Territory.
5. Any person who holds any office of profit under the Government of India or under any State Government or under any subordinate local authority shall not be eligible.
6. The candidate must not be a member of either House of the Parliament or of either House of the Legislature of a State. If he is a member of either House, he will have to give up his membership after being elected as the Vice-President.