National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Vice Presidential candidate CP Radhakrishnan has appointed Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, along with Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, as his polling agents for Tuesday’s election.
Both TDP and JD(U), key NDA allies, have already pledged their support to Radhakrishnan.
The election, scheduled for today, will see Radhakrishnan face off against former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, fielded by the INDIA bloc. Voting is set to conclude before noon, with counting of votes to take place in the evening.
With 427 MPs expected to back him—well above the majority mark of 391—Radhakrishnan is widely seen as the frontrunner. In contrast, Reddy is supported by 354 MPs, as the Opposition bloc banks on possible cross-voting to close the gap.
Earlier in the day, Radhakrishnan offered prayers at Shree Ram Mandir on Lodhi Road in Delhi, expressing confidence in victory. “It is going to be a big victory for Indian nationalism. We are all one, we will be one, and we want India to become a Viksit Bharat,” he said.
In terms of numbers, Radhakrishnan is expected to secure 293 votes from the Lok Sabha and 134 from the Rajya Sabha. Combined support from BJP, TDP, and JD(U) alone accounts for 278 votes in the Lower House and 108 in the Upper House.
The Parliament currently comprises 781 members—542 in the Lok Sabha (with one vacancy) and 239 in the Rajya Sabha (with five vacancies).
Meanwhile, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have opted to abstain from voting. BJP MPs have expressed confidence in a decisive victory, with MP Ananta Nayak saying, “NDA has more numbers in the election today. We will definitely win, and CP Radhakrishnan will become the Vice President.”
