Voting for the 15th Vice Presidential election began on Tuesday morning, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting his vote first, joined by other prominent ministers and MPs.
The contest features NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan and joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy. The counting of votes is scheduled for the evening. The election follows 50 days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President on July 21, citing health reasons.
Union Minister Suresh Gopi said, “This election is not about choosing between anyone. It is aimed at selecting fairness, truthfulness, and effectiveness, which are most needed for the citizens of the country. CP Radhakrishnan is one of the best workers in our ideological system.”
Both the NDA and opposition parties conducted mock polls ahead of the elections, advising MPs to exercise caution to prevent invalid votes.
Numbers favor the NDA candidate, with Radhakrishnan expected to receive 427 votes—well above the majority mark of 391. In the Lok Sabha, he is projected to get 293 votes and 134 votes in the Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, joint opposition candidate Reddy is backed by 354 MPs, with 249 in the lower house and 105 in the upper house.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav emphasized that “numbers are fine but this voting is done on the basis of one’s conscience… The numbers will be in our favour.”
Currently, Parliament comprises 781 members, including 542 in the Lok Sabha (one seat vacant) and 239 in the Rajya Sabha (five seats vacant). Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has decided to abstain from voting, while Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are not participating, citing grievances over government inaction.
