"Will vote unanimously for INDIA bloc candidate": Uddhav Thackeray ahead of Vice President elections

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 29(ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday highlighted the importance of the upcoming Vice Presidential elections, saying the country must uphold the dignity of the post by choosing a "suitable person." He indicated that his party would extend its full support to the candidate fielded by the INDIA bloc.
"The upcoming elections are important for the country because we have to vote to maintain the dignity of the post of Vice President. We need a suitable person for that post. We dont know what happened to the former Vice President that he had to suddenly resign... We will vote unanimously in favour of the INDIA bloc candidate," Thackeray said while, addressing a press conference.
Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reached out to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP-SC leader Sharad Pawar, seeking their support for the NDA's Vice Presidential candidate, CP Radhakrishnan.
While Thackeray said he would consider the request and respond after discussions, Pawar indicated that his party would back the Opposition's nominee.
Speaking to reporters, CM Fadnavis said, "I spoke to Uddhav Thackery ji and Sharad Pawar ji and requested them to support Maharashtra Governor's (CP Radhakrishnan) candidature for Vice Presidential elections. Uddhav ji told me that he will discuss and let me know. Sharad Pawar ji said that he will have to go with the candidate fielded by the Opposition."
On August 21, Opposition INDIA bloc's Vice-Presidential nominee and former Supreme Court Judge B. Sudershan Reddy filed his nomination papers for the upcoming election, describing the moment as an honour and pledging to discharge the role with impartiality, dignity, and a steadfast commitment, if elected.
Reddy submitted the nomination in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
In a statement released after filing his nomination, Justice (Retd.) Reddy said, "Today, I had the honour of filing my nomination papers for the office of the Vice President of India as a joint candidate of the Opposition parties. I did so with a deep sense of humility, responsibility, and unwavering commitment to the values enshrined in our Constitution."
The election for the Vice President of India will see a direct contest between Justice Reddy, backed by the INDIA bloc, and NDA's nominee C P Radhakrishnan.
The Election Commission had earlier announced that polling for the Vice Presidential election would take place on September 9, with counting to take place the same day.
The Vice Presidential post fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 21, citing health reasons.
Recently, Sudershan Reddy said that the election for the Vice President is not a battle but a clash of ideology, while highlighting that he disagrees with the ideology and not C.P. Radhakrishnan, the NDA candidate for the position.
He added that he has nothing personal against NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan, "There is nothing personal between C.P. Radhakrishnan and me. We have never even met each other. So I wanted this to be a decent contest, not between individuals but between two different ideologies..." (ANI)