The election for the Vice President of India is set to take place on Tuesday, marking a significant political contest between the NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc. The ruling alliance has fielded veteran BJP leader and current Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its nominee, while the opposition has chosen former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy as its candidate. The poll will be conducted through a secret ballot in Parliament House, with voting scheduled between 10 am and 5 pm. Counting will begin at 6 pm, and results are expected later in the evening, following which the winner will be sworn in as India’s 14th Vice President, succeeding Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The electoral college for this election comprises 781 Members of Parliament, including 238 from the Rajya Sabha and 542 from the Lok Sabha, though seven seats are currently vacant. To win, a candidate must secure a majority of 391 votes. The NDA enters the contest with a comfortable edge, commanding 425 MPs and additional support from the YSR Congress Party’s 11 MPs, raising its total to 436. In contrast, the INDIA bloc is backed by 324 MPs. Despite the NDA’s numerical advantage, analysts expect a reduced margin of victory compared to 2022, when Jagdeep Dhankhar secured a decisive win over Margaret Alva by 346 votes. This time, the gap could narrow to around 100–125 votes.
The two candidates bring contrasting profiles to the race. CP Radhakrishnan, at 67, is a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu who served as a two-time MP from Coimbatore during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure and is now positioned as a reliable, experienced, and untainted figure suited for the Rajya Sabha chair. His rival, B Sudershan Reddy, aged 79, hails from Telangana and is celebrated for his judicial contributions. As a Supreme Court judge, he authored landmark rulings, including declaring the Salwa Judum militia unconstitutional and advocating for transparency in black money investigations. In his appeal to MPs, Reddy urged them to vote beyond party lines, calling the election a test of India’s constitutional spirit.
Political alignments further shape the contest. While the NDA enjoys support from YSRCP and even AAP MP Swati Maliwal, parties like the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have opted to stay away. The BRS has boycotted the election, citing grievances against both the Centre and the Telangana Congress government, while the BJD has chosen neutrality, reaffirming its focus on Odisha’s development rather than national alignments. Meanwhile, the stance of independents and smaller parties such as the Shiromani Akali Dal, ZPM, and VOTTP remains uncertain, leaving room for last-minute dynamics.
The polling process will be conducted with strict adherence to rules, as invalid ballots have been a concern in past elections. MPs will be required to mark their preference by writing the numeral “1” next to their chosen candidate’s name, either in Indian numerals, Roman numerals, or numerals from any Indian language. Party whips do not apply in this election, but voting patterns usually follow political alignments, though cross-voting cannot be ruled out. To avoid errors, both camps have held mock polls and training sessions for their MPs.
On poll day, both alliances are making last-minute mobilization efforts. The NDA has arranged breakfast meetings at 9:30 am, with senior leaders like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Nityanand Rai assigned to host MPs from their respective states. Polling agents for the NDA will include Kiren Rijiju, Shrikant Shinde, and Ram Mohan Naidu, while the opposition bloc has appointed Nasir Hussain, Manickam Tagore, and Shaktisinh Gohil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first to cast his vote before departing for Punjab, setting the tone for the proceedings.
The election was necessitated by the unexpected resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, creating a vacuum in the office of Vice President. The winner of this contest will not only become the nation’s 14th Vice President but also preside as Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, a role central to legislative proceedings. While the NDA’s victory seems assured on paper, abstentions, cross-voting, and shifting loyalties could reduce the margin, potentially turning this into a more symbolic contest than a straightforward numerical battle.
