Keeping in view the demands of the high office, Ansari has reached out to even the BJP and the Shiv Sena MPs through letters to seek their votes. “I expect to carry out the functions of the Chairperson of the Upper House in a firm, fair and impartial manner, thereby strengthening the glorious traditions of India,” he said, adding “I have also had the experience of consensus-building in the councils of the world, based on a capacity to hear and reconcile diverse viewpoints.”

The task ahead is indeed challenging for him given the absence of dialogue between the Government and the Opposition and the presence of more belligerent Opposition leaders in the Upper House.

Since his rival Najma Heptulla of the NDA has sought to focus on her long innings in the Rajya Sabha — 27 years as member and four stints as Deputy Chairperson — in her campaign, Ansari has chosen to cite his varied career spanning over four decades. Ansari, who has never been a member of either Houses, said, “In my professional life, I have had the benefit of analysing and assessing the political developments in several important parts of the world and uphold India’s interest during trying times.... My experience in diverse fields will enable me to shoulder the responsibilities of the Vice-President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.”

Ansari has also taken care to be politically correct. Keeping in view the predilections of the UPA-Left combine, Ansari has attributed his candidature to the “finest tradition of India’s secular heritage”.

Describing India as one of the finest examples of a culture which embodies “virtues of accommodation”, he has asked the MPs to back him — a “true representative of this culture”.