The India Block is preparing to field its candidate for the Vice Presidential election and several names are being discussed. According to sources, the opposition is not in favor of supporting NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan.
New Delhi: Political activity has intensified in India regarding the Vice Presidential election. The ruling NDA has nominated senior leader C.P. Radhakrishnan, who hails from Tamil Nadu, as its candidate. Meanwhile, the opposition alliance, India Block, also appears to be in the mood to field its own candidate. According to sources, prominent among the names being seriously considered by the opposition are Dr. M. Annadurai, former ISRO scientist and known as the 'Moon Man of India,' and Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
Who is 'Moon Man of India' Dr. M. Annadurai?
Dr. M. Annadurai is one of the select scientists in India who has made significant contributions to the country's space missions. He was born on July 2, 1958, in Tamil Nadu. After completing his engineering studies, he joined ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) in 1982 and played a crucial role in India's space program. Annadurai is called the 'Moon Man' of India because he has led several major lunar missions and satellite projects of ISRO.
He served as the Director of the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) from 2015 to 2018. Prior to this, he served as the Program Director of Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) and Small Satellite Systems (SSS). Under his leadership, ISRO successfully launched several satellites into space. The Government of India, in recognition of his contributions, awarded him the Padma Shri in 2016.
Opposition Strategy and Why Annadurai's Name is Coming Forward?
According to sources, DMK, a part of the opposition alliance, has proposed Dr. Annadurai's name to its allies. In fact, NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan also comes from Tamil Nadu. In such a situation, the opposition parties want to field a candidate from the same state who has a greater social and technical reputation than a political one.
For this reason, Annadurai's name is rapidly emerging as a non-political face with a scientific background. In addition, TMC also desires that the opposition candidate be from outside politics. This is why parties like Congress, DMK, and TMC are trying to build consensus on his name.
Tushar Gandhi and Tiruchi Siva Also Options
Besides Annadurai, the name of Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, is also under discussion. However, the opposition is not yet unanimous regarding his candidacy. Meanwhile, the name of DMK senior leader Tiruchi Siva has also surfaced, but allies like TMC are not in his favor. In the last Vice Presidential election, when NDA nominated Jagdeep Dhankhar as its candidate, TMC abstained from voting. This time, it does not want to weaken the opposition unity, which is why it is demanding a non-political candidate.
In terms of numbers in Parliament, the scales are clearly tilted in favor of the ruling party in the Vice Presidential election. The NDA has the required majority and has already received the support of the YSR Congress Party. In such a situation, it will be very difficult for the opposition to win this election.
