Vice President polls: Margaret Alva likely to get JMM’s support

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the state’s ruling party, has said that it will endorse Margaret Alva, the joint opposition’s candidate for vice president of India, in the elections scheduled for August 6.

JMM chief Shibu Soren said in a letter to party MP, “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.”

Taking to Twitter, Alva expressed gratitude, saying “Thank the leaders and the MPs of the JMM for their support in the Vice President’s election on August 6th.”

The vice president is chosen by a vote cast only by members of Parliament, whereas the president is chosen by MPs and representatives from state legislatures. Political parties cannot issue a “whip” in any scenario, meaning that an elector may cast a ballot for a candidate other than the one preferred by his or her party. The method of a single transferable vote is adopted for the polls.

Additionally, it should be noted that the JMM endorsed Droupadi Murmu, the incumbent President, in the July 18 presidential election despite the fact that it is an opposition party to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is in power.

The vice president candidate, Alva, will contest against Jagdeep Dhankar. The BJP alone has enough strength in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha to guarantee Dhankhar’s victory.