PM Modi calls for unanimous election of Radhakrishnan as VP as Oppn plans contest

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (August 19) appealed to all parties, including the Opposition, for the unanimous election of NDA's vice-presidential candidate CP Radhakrishnan, as he praised his life of public service at a meeting of the ruling alliance MPs.

Also Read: CP Radhakrishnan meets PM Modi, Union ministers in Delhi

NDA MPs felicitate Radhakrishnan

Radhakrishnan was felicitated by the NDA’s top brass, including Prime Minister Modi and several BJP allies, at a meeting of MPs in Delhi. He is likely to file his nomination on Wednesday (August 20).

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters that Modi, in his address, appealed to various parties, especially the Opposition, to back Radhakrishnan to ensure that he is elected unanimously.

Modi introduced the Maharashtra governor, who is a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, to the NDA MPs, citing his long public life in which he served ably in different capacities.

Also Read: Why CP Radhakrishnan ticked many boxes as NDA's V-P candidate

Modi slams Nehru

In his speech, Modi also raised the issue of Indus Waters Treaty and slammed the then-prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for signing the agreement with Pakistan without taking Parliament or his Cabinet into confidence.

Nehru did so to burnish his own image at the cost of the interest of the country, he said, according to sources. Over 80 per cent of the waters was allowed to be used by Pakistan, he noted.

The Modi government has put the treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack. The prime minister said his government has been undoing the sins of that era, the sources added.

Modi noted that Nehru had later told a colleague that he had believed the agreement would help resolve other issues with Pakistan, but it did not happen. The prime minister also spoke of the S&P Global Ratings' recent decision to upgrade India's long-term sovereign credit rating, saying it highlights the country's sound economy and will draw more investment.

Also Read: Who is CP Radhakrishnan, NDA’s Vice President candidate?

Opposition plans contest

Rijiju said Radhakrishnan (67) has led a simple life away from any controversy or taint, stressing that his election as vice president will be a matter of delight for the entire country.

With the BJP-led NDA enjoying a comfortable majority in the electoral college comprising MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Radhakrishnan's win is a certainty amid indications from the opposition's INDIA bloc that it will field its own candidate and force a contest.

(With agency inputs)