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V-P polls: Shibu Soren-led JMM to support Oppn candidate Margaret Alva. She responds
In last month's presidential polls, the JMM, despite being an opposition party, supported the BJP-led ruling NDA's candidate, and the incumbent President, Droupadi Murmu.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will support Margaret Alva, the joint opposition's candidate for the vice president of India, in the August 6 polls, Jharkhand's ruling party has announced.
“As you are aware, Mrs. Margaret Alva is the opposition's candidate for the office of vice president of India. After due consideration, the party has decided to vote for her in the V-P polls,” JMM chief Shibu Soren said in a letter to party MPs.
“You are hereby directed to cast your vote in her favour,” the letter added.
“I thank the leaders and the MPs of the JMM for their support in the Vice President’s election on August 6th,” Alva said in a tweet.
Only members of Parliament can vote to elect the vice president, while the President is elected by MPs, as well as members of state legislative assemblies. However, in both cases, political parties cannot issue a ‘whip’, i.e. an individual elector can even vote against his/her party's choice of candidate.
Also, it is to be noted that the JMM, despite being an opposition party, supported the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate, and the incumbent President, Droupadi Murmu, in the July 18 presidential election.
On the polling day, massive cross voting took place in favour of Murmu, who, by virtue of being the ruling party's candidate, was already certain to win.
Meanwhile, the V-P election will pit Alva against NDA's nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar, and the winner will succeed the outgoing vice president, M Venkaiah Naidu, in the country's second highest office. The BJP on its own has enough strength in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha to ensure Dhankhar wins.
The JMM has only three MPs: two in Rajya Sabha and one in Lok Sabha.
