On speculations of him being the Opposition's vice presidential candidate, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Tiruchi Siva on Monday said he has no idea and added that only leaders will decide that, as he is not the person to say that. The leaders of the INDIA bloc parties said they will have a virtual meeting on Monday to decide their candidate for the vice presidential elections.
Here's what Tiruchi Siva said on the vice presidential candidate:
"He (Rahul Gandhi) is the LoP; he has given some details, facts and figures. The Election Commission should have come and given a suo motu statement, but it is asking to be given an affidavit. We expect the Election Commission to behave in a very high-pedestal manner. They are a constitutional authority. When the responsible political parties are raising an issue, they have to give some explanation," he said.
INDIA bloc likely to pick Tiruchi Siva as vice presidential candidate
Various reports earlier in the day suggested that the Opposition INDIA bloc is likely to pick the DMK's Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva as its vice presidential candidate. This is being done in a move that would pit the senior Tamil Nadu politician against another from his state in the upcoming election.
DMK alleges BJP picked Radhakrishnan eyeing mileage in Tamil Nadu polls
Earlier in the day, senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan said the BJP is nominating Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its nominee to the post of vice president, "considering its own electoral gain," since the Assembly election is less than a year away in Tamil Nadu, and it is aimed at "deceiving the people."
The DMK leader gave a clear hint that his party would not back Radhakrishnan's candidature. Radhakrishnan is a BJP man, and his nomination by the saffron party for the second top constitutional office is an elevation for him, and "it is not going to do anything good" for Tamil Nadu, he said.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Elangovan wondered why the DMK should support Radhakrishnan's candidature and said his party would abide by the decision of the INDIA bloc, in which his party is a major partner.
Meanwhile, Vaiko, general secretary of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), a DMK ally, said he was extending his party's "happy wishes" to Radhakrishnan, transcending "party lines" since the Maharashtra Governor is "a Tamilian and a cultured man who respects everyone, cutting across political parties".
Elangovan criticised the BJP's decision to field Radhakrishnan in the vice presidential race, alleging that his nomination is linked to the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled for March-April 2026.
NDA announces CP Radhakrishnan as vice presidential candidate
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday had named Maharashtra Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader belonging to a key OBC caste from Tamil Nadu with an RSS background, as its vice presidential candidate.
BJP president JP Nadda made the announcement following a meeting of the party's parliamentary board, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and consultation with the party's allies.
Nadda urged for the unanimous election of Radhakrishnan (67), an OBC leader and two-time former member of Lok Sabha from Coimbatore, to the constitutional position, saying BJP leaders had spoken to the opposition parties over the last week and will reach out to them again.
