Chennai sources have stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought the support of Tamilnadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami for the NDA's vice-presidential candidate M Venkaiah Naidu. It was stated that the prime minister spoke to Mr. Palaniswami, who leads the Amma faction of the ruling AIADMK, over the phone and thanked him for supporting the NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.
According to sources, Venkaiah Naidu was chosen the NDA's vice presidential candidate at a meeting of the BJP parliamentary board. He filed his nomination papers today with PM Modi and other senior BJP leaders by his side. But few BJP leaders are unhappy and they were never seen on the radar.
Sources have added that his nomination is seen as part of the BJP's attempts to expand in south India, which has been identified by party chief Amit Shah as a key region for growth before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and moreover two time BJP president is pitted against Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who was chosen by an alliance of 18 opposition parties, including the Congress, but his election is almost inevitable due to the NDA's huge numerical superiority over the opposition.
