New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee-led TMC will announce its support for the vice-presidential candidate by July 21, party veteran MP Saugata Roy said on Sunday (July 17). Roy’s statement comes after opposition parties announced Margaret Alva as their joint candidate for the August 6, 2022 Vice Presidential election. Saugata Roy said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will chair a meeting that will be attended by TMC MPs on July 21 and then the party will clarify its stand on support for the vice-president’s candidate, according to PTI.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party’s top leaders are “assessing and discussing the issue of the entire vice-presidential election”. “We are a disciplined party. We will not say anything on this issue earlier.”
Earlier today, senior TMC leader and Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya took a dig at NDA’s vice-president candidate. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhari, saying he has been rewarded by the BJP for “opposing” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Bhattacharya, minister of state for health and finance, also accused Dhankhar of acting as a BJP spokesperson during his state’s governorship. Dhankhar became the Governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and since then has been making headlines for his turbulent relationship with the Mamata Banerjee government.
Both the BJP and the opposition have urged the TMC to extend support to their respective candidates. While Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar has appealed to the TMC to support the NDA vice-president candidate, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the opposition parties are seeking support from TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Margaret Alva,
Meanwhile, according to ANI sources, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will support the NDA’s vice-president candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar. The decision was taken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and sought support for Dhankhar. Apart from the BJD, AIADMK leader M Thambi Durai has said that he will also support the Bengal governor. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party has also announced its support to the NDA candidate Dhankhar in the Vice Presidential election.
On BJP chief JP Nadda’s appeal of all political parties, including UPA allies, to support Dhankhar in the 2022 vice presidential election, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Our candidate is from the minority and is better than their candidate. (Margaret Alva) then it will be a unanimous vote.”
(with agency input)