NEW DELHI: The crucial meeting of NDA parties to finalise the alliance candidate for the vice-presidential elections is likely soon after the return of PM Modi from abroad, even as BJP is set to field its own party candidate with allies’ consent to fill the vacancy caused by the recent resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar.Sources said that the party is likely to pick someone with political and legislative experience and the announcement may happen next week, as the Election Commission has formally set in motion the process of electing the next vice president by appointing a returning officer for the purpose.In the electoral college that comprises members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a clear majority with a strength of nearly 425 out of the current total of 782 MPs, making its nominee the clear favourite to occupy the position left vacant by the resignation of Jagdeep DhankharThere is a strong view within the party and its allies that the BJP leadership will prioritise organisational rootedness and ideological purity and resist the urge to experiment which has led them to occasionally look beyond their own pool of experienced talent. While the prevailing view is that BJP will pick one from its ranks, perhaps an OBC like, say, Harivansh, a JDU MP is also being talked about as a probable for the trust he has built with the govt in his nearly seven-year term as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman.The vice president is the ex-officio Chairman of the Upper House, a key position in shaping Parliament’s proceedings and thus guiding the govt’s agenda. With assembly polls set to be held in Bihar in Oct-Nov and in key states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala besides Assam next year, electoral considerations are expected to play a role in the choice of the candidate as well.Meanwhile, Election Commission on Friday appointed the secretary general of Rajya Sabha as the returning officer for election to the office of vice-president.