Vice Presidential Election: NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan vs INDIA’s Sudershan Reddy
India is set to elect its new Vice President today in a crucial contest between the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc. The election comes after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation, which sources say was linked to differences with the Centre over judicial impeachment matters.
The two candidates in the fray are NDA’s nominee CP Radhakrishnan, a senior BJP leader and current Governor of Maharashtra, and the opposition’s candidate, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy. Polling will take place in Parliament House from 10 am to 5 pm, with MPs casting their votes through a secret ballot. Counting will begin at 6 pm, and results are expected the same evening.
The electoral college for this election comprises 781 MPs—238 from Rajya Sabha and 542 from Lok Sabha, with seven seats currently vacant. The majority mark is set at 391. The NDA commands 425 MPs and is supported by the YSR Congress Party’s 11 MPs, raising its tally to 436. The INDIA bloc has backing from 324 MPs, making the NDA the frontrunner, though analysts predict a closer contest compared to the 2022 election.
CP Radhakrishnan, aged 67, is a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore and is being projected as an experienced, clean leader capable of presiding over the Rajya Sabha. On the other hand, B. Sudershan Reddy, 79, is well known for his landmark judgments during his tenure as a Supreme Court judge, including declaring the Salwa Judum unconstitutional and ordering probes into black money. He has called the election a battle for the “spirit of India.”
Several parties have chosen to abstain, including the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), weakening the overall participation. Meanwhile, independents and smaller regional parties have kept their stance unclear, leaving scope for surprises in the final tally.
No party whip applies in this election, meaning MPs are free to vote as they wish, although cross-voting is generally limited. Both alliances have conducted mock voting to avoid invalid ballots. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be the first to cast his vote before leaving for Punjab.
The winner of this election will be sworn in as India’s 14th Vice President and will also assume the role of Rajya Sabha Chairperson. While the NDA is expected to secure victory, the final margin will determine the level of confidence it carries into upcoming political battles.
