New Delhi, Aug 11: Unlike the clean sweep of A P J Abdul Kalam in the president's election, tomorrow's vice presidential poll will witness a straight fight between former
Rajasthan chief minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde with the BJP veteran being a clear
favourite.
The 78-year old Shekhawat, a veteran of many an electoral battle in his home state of Rajasthan, is in the fray with the solid backing of the entire NDA as also parties like TDP and BSP supporting from outside.
On the other side is 61-year-old Sushil Kumar Shinde, senior Congress leader and a dalit, who has been adopted by
the entire opposition as its candidate. The opposition hopes
to poach on the ruling side through some cross-voting expected
on caste lines, which Shekhawat feels will also help him
greatly.
In an electoral college of 788 MPs, Shekhawat is expected
to win with a margin of over 100 votes, if one goes by the
voting figure on the Pota legislation in the joint sitting of
Parliament earlier this year.
Though murmurs of discontent were there in the NDA among
some allies, no major change in the picture was being
anticipated despite Trinamool Congress' disenchantment with
the BJP.
Bureau Report
