That Venkaiah Naidu would be elected vice-president was a foregone conclusion. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would want its own man as chairman of the Rajya Sabha, particularly as it does not yet have a majority there. But the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) missed a good tactic in the presidential elections. The NDA had the numbers. But the UPA could have announced that if the NDA chose a non-political nominee who has never been a member of any party or even a legislator as Independent, it would support the candidate so that there is unanimous election of the President. That