New Delhi: Poll to elect the 16th vice president of India is scheduled to be held on August 6 and the last day for filing nominations is July 19.
So far, neither NDA nor the opposition picked their candidates for the polls. However, speculations are going on over the expected candidates.
New Indian Express quoted a source in BJP saying that Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is the top contender for the NDA’s candidate for the vice presidential poll.
There is also a possibility that Venkaiah Naidu may get another term as Vice President of India as it may also help the BJP in its ‘Mission South’.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is another name which is making rounds for the poll. However, there are also rumours that he is likely to be appointed as LG of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan
Arif Mohammed Khan assumed the office of Kerala Governor on September 6, 2019. Earlier, he served the country as union minister of civil aviation under VP Singh’s government.
He started his political career as a student leader and in 1972, he was appointed as the president of the AMU students’ union. At the age of 26 years, he become a member of the legislative assembly of Uttar Pradesh in 1977.
Later, he joined Congress. He was elected as the MP of Lok Sabha in 1980. However, he resigned from the party over Muslim Personal Law Bill that was passed by the Rajiv Gandhi government.
In 1989, he was not only elected as a Lok Sabha MP but also become the union minister under the Janata Dal government.
In 2004, he joined BJP but failed to get elected as a member of the Lok Sabha. On September 1, 2019, he was appointed as the Governor of Kerala.
Now, it is likely that NDA may pick him as its Vice Presidential candidate.
How Vice President is elected in India?
In India, the vice president is elected by an electoral college that consists of members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Unlike the presidential poll, the value of each vote is the same in vice presidential poll.
In the upcoming vice presidential poll, 788 members of both houses of parliament will cast their votes and parties cannot issue whips.
