MUMBAI, Aug. 30 -- B Sudarshan Reddy, the opposition INDIA bloc's candidate for the vice-presidential elections, on Friday met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar to seek their support. Despite speculation about potential cross-voting, Pawar and Thackeray expressed confidence that Reddy would get the votes of all INDIA bloc MPs from Maharashtra. Reddy first went to Matoshree, Thackeray's Bandra residence, and later proceeded to Silver Oak, Sharad Pawar's house in south Mumbai. After meeting both leaders, he addressed a press conference along with state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal and other leaders. The former Supreme Court judge declared that he planned to appeal to all MPs, even those from the opposition NDA, to vote for him as he was a non-political candidate. Thackeray said that after the country's earlier vice-president, Jagdeep Dhankhar, "suddenly resigned and disappeared", the INDIA bloc's intention behind fighting the election was "to save democracy by electing a vice-president who will work according to the Constitution and be fair to all". Pawar said that the vice-presidential election had attracted the attention of the nation, as Dhankar had quit his post so suddenly that there was widespread suspicion about what led to this. "The result of the election is not important but it will be useful to maintain the dignity of the opposition in the parliamentary system," he said. Reddy said, "This is an important election, as the country is going through tough times," he said. "I am going to send a letter of appeal to all MPs, including those belonging to NDA parties, to vote for me as I am a non-political candidate and will work to protect the Constitution."...