Hours before voting began for the Vice Presidential election, NDA nominee and Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan visited Shree Ram Mandir at Lodhi Road in Delhi on Tuesday morning to offer prayers.
Polling for the Vice President’s post is scheduled to begin before noon, with counting of votes set for the evening. The election follows the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21 due to health reasons.
The contest is between Radhakrishnan, backed by the BJP-led NDA, and former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, fielded by the Opposition alliance. Both sides conducted mock polls to ensure MPs cast valid ballots.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Radhakrishnan’s candidature had generated “immense enthusiasm” and expressed confidence he would be an “excellent Vice President.” Union Minister Kiren Rijiju added that PM Modi guided MPs in a preparatory NDA meeting, urging them to highlight Parliament’s recent legislative achievements.
On the other side, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai said the INDIA bloc is united and carried out a mock poll to avoid errors during voting.
Meanwhile, the BJD and BRS have announced they will abstain, while the Shiromani Akali Dal has declared a boycott of the election citing Punjab’s grievances with both state and central governments.
