Odisha’s BJD and Telangana’s BRS have decided to boycott the vice president elections. This means they will not support either of the two candidates in the fray – CP Radhakrishnan of the BJP-led NDA and B Sudershan Reddy of the opposition’s INDIA bloc. BJD chief Naveen Patnaik cited the party’s policy of “equal distance” from both national alliances, while BRS prioritized the plight of farmers.