New Delhi [India], September 9 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bhagwat Karad on Tuesday asserted that there was "no chance" of cross-voting against the NDA's vice presidential nominee, CP Radhakrishnan.
"There are no chances of cross-voting. We will win the Vice-President elections for sure," Karad told ANI.
Backing him, Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam accused the Opposition of "bogus propaganda" and expressed confidence in Radhakrishnan's victory. "NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan will win the Vice Presidential election. The opposition is adopting a strategy of bogus propaganda, in which they will fail," Nikam said.
Earlier in the day, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu expressed strong confidence in the victory of the NDA candidate, predicting that the ruling coalition will secure a large majority.
"The main strategy is that we, all 18 MPs, want to finish our voting within the first hour. Everyone is prepared for that. Arrive early and vote early. I am not only confident that our NDA candidate will win, but I am also confident that he will get more than 80-100 majority in this election. There will definitely be cross-voting from the parties that are in between; they will be voting for us. Also, some of the Opposition MPs will be voting for us," he told ANI.
BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana added that Radhakrishnan's experience would strengthen parliamentary democracy. "I appeal to the Opposition to support the NDA candidate and encourage parliamentary conventions, deliberations and debates," he said.
Polling for the 15th Vice Presidential election began on Tuesday morning, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi exercising his franchise first, along with other prominent ministers and MPs. The counting of votes will take place in the evening.
NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan is facing joint Opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy.
The election comes 50 days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post as the Vice President on July 21, citing health reasons.