The BJP is organising a major gathering of its top leaders and allies next week to demonstrate unity ahead of the upcoming vice-presidential election, which is scheduled for September 9.ย
All Members of Parliament (MPs) from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have been summoned for a parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, coinciding with the start of the second phase of the ongoing Monsoon session. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the MPs at the Parliament auditorium.
This will be the second meeting of NDA MPs during the Monsoon session. It holds particular significance due to the September 9 election to choose the successor to Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned last month citing health concerns. The BJPโs highest decision-making body, the Parliamentary Board, will also meet on Sunday evening at the party’s headquarters to decide on its nominee.ย
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The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Modi and attended by senior leaders including BJP President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Modi and Nadda were previously authorised on August 7 to select the NDAโs candidate.
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To convey a message of unity, a large-scale meeting of top NDA leaders is planned for the day of the nomination filing. This gathering is expected to include all Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, and Deputy Chief Ministers from the alliance. Multiple sets of nomination papers will be prepared, with a focus on ensuring that BJP’s allies are also included as proposers and supporters.
Sources within the Bharatiya Janata Party have indicated that the next Vice President will be a member of the ruling party, with strong ties to the party’s ideology and the RSS. This is a shift from the selection of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who was chosen to appeal to the Jat community. The choice of the new candidate is also expected to send a regional and social message.
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In preparation for the election, the NDA is implementing a strategy to secure the maximum number of votes. A three-day workshop is being held at Parliament House to train MPs on the voting procedure for the vice-presidential election. While government strategists will formally reach out to the opposition to build consensus, this is seen as a formality, as the opposition has already announced its intention to field its own candidate.
The vice-presidential election presents the first major opportunity for the ruling alliance to test its strength in its third term, as the opposition is actively working to challenge the government on key issues. The BJP’s majority now relies heavily on its allies, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) (JDU). The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which has previously supported the NDA in such elections, is not expected to extend its support this time after losing power to the BJP in Odisha.
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