CP Radhakrishnan files papers for vice-presidential election, PM chief proposer

He was flanked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and floor leaders of all NDA allies. Four sets of nomination papers were submitted for scrutiny to PC Mody, Rajya Sabha Secretary General and the Returning Officer for the V-P election.

PM Modi was the chief proposer in the first set. The Constitutional requirement for any candidate for the V-P election is -- proposing by 20 electors and seconding by 20 electors. Sources said all NDA allies had been included as proposers and seconders in the sets that were submitted today.

Apart from PM Modi, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and JDU leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh were lead proposers in the other three sets. Radhakrishnan was escorted into the chamber of PC Mody by the PM, his senior Cabinet colleagues, leaders of NDA constituents -- Ram Mohan Naidu of the TDP, Rajiv Ranjan Singh of JD(U), Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal, Ramdas Athawale of RPI, Chirag Paswan of LJP, Shrikant Shinde of the Shiv Sena and others.

Earlier, Radhakrishnan paid tributes at Prerna Sthal which houses the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

Radhakrishnan has a clear numerical advantage in the election, with the electoral college consisting of 781 MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The majority mark is 391 and NDA already has the support of 422. The YSRCP has said it would back 67-year-old Radhakrishnan.

Reddy meets Opposition MPs

Former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy, the joint candidate of the Opposition on Wednesday met opposition MPs in the Central Hall of old Parliament. He will file his nomination papers on Thursday in the presence of all opposition stalwarts, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi and floor leaders of all opposition parties.