YSRCP backs C P Radhakrishnan: Jagan's party supports NDA nominee; boost for alliance in VP polls

NEW DELHI: The YSR Congress Party , which holds 11 MPs, has announced its support for NDA’s vice-presidential candidate C P Radhakrishnan , giving a fresh boost to the ruling alliance.

YSRCP Lok Sabha MP Maddila Gurumoorthy confirmed to PTI on Monday that the party will back the Maharashtra Governor ’s candidature, even as the Opposition prepares to field its own nominee to force a contest.

According to PTI sources, defence minister Rajnath Singh had reached out to YSR Congress chief and former Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to seek his party’s support. The YSRCP currently has four MPs in the Lok Sabha and seven in the Rajya Sabha.

Though the party is not formally aligned with either the BJP-led NDA or the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, its main rival in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP, is a key NDA ally. With the NDA commanding a clear majority in the electoral college of both Houses of Parliament, Radhakrishnan’s victory is seen as almost certain.