Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, July 21: The Trinamool Congress has made the decision not to cast a ballot in the contest for vice president. The choice was made following a meeting between TMC MPs and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is the NDA’s nominee for vice president, whereas Margaret Alva, a former governor of Rajasthan, is the nominee of the opposition parties.
“TMC will not support NDA’s Vice-Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar. The party will abstain from the upcoming Vice Presidential polls as it was decided in the meeting,” said TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee,
The unified opposition candidate was announced without consulting Mamata Banerjee, which has drawn the ire of the TMC. Alva and Mamata Banerjee are said to get along well personally, but Mamata Banerjee is furious that Congress and even the NCP didn’t let her know before releasing Alva’s name.
The state BJP leaders had already requested that Mamata Banerjee provide her support to former Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar, who had frequently made news since taking office in 2019 for his frequent clashes with the Bengal administration.
To choose M. Venkaiah Naidu’s replacement once his tenure ends on August 10, the vice presidential election will be held on August 6.
