New Delhi [India], September 8 : Commenting on the upcoming Vice Presidential elections, Congress MP Manickam Tagore claimed that the vice president election is forced on the nation on Monday.
Speaking to ANI, Tagore also claimed that the former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was forced to resign. "This Vice President election is forced on the nation. We don't know why Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned. He was forced to resign. Suddenly, the election came into the picture..."
Talking about the opposition's candidate Sudershan Reddy, Manickam said that "Justice Sudershan Reddy is the joint opposition's candidate. The other opposition parties, particularly BJD, BRS, and YSRCP, must support him. We will be able to know who is really helping the BJP or whether they are standing with the Constitution."
He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should announce packages for states that have lost property due to floods. Manickam also said that Punjab farmers are suffering due to the Aam Aadmi Party administration.
"We need to understand that the country is undergoing a very severe flood this time. Himachal, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and parts of Delhi are suffering a lot. The state governments must act, and the Union government must give funds...The PM should announce some kind of packages for states where people have lost property and a lot of damage has been done to their crops. We all know that the Punjab farmers are suffering because of AAP. AAP's complete administration has failed in Punjab," added Tagore.
Meanwhile, one day before the vice president election, Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, is set to host a dinner for the INDIA bloc MPs in the evening at the Parliament Annexe. The meeting aims to reinforce the opposition's unity and support for their VP candidate, B. Sudershan Reddy.
Earlier on July 21, Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, citing health reasons, leaving the seat of Vice President vacant. Hence, an election was scheduled on September 9 for the post, which will witness a direct contest between Justice (Retd.) B Sudershan Reddy, backed by the INDIA bloc, and the NDA's nominee, CP Radhakrishnan. .