The Vice Presidential elections are being held in Parliament today. A tough contest is expected in this race between the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate C. P. Radhakrishnan and the opposition candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy. Vote counting will continue until the afternoon, and results will be announced in the evening.
Vice President Elections 2025: Who will be the country's next Vice President will be decided after today's elections. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, has nominated Maharashtra Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan as its candidate. On the other hand, the opposition (Indian National Congress) has nominated former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy as their candidate.
This contest has become a major topic of discussion in political circles. However, according to estimates, the BJP alliance is in clear majority and is confident of its victory.
Why the Post Became Vacant
The post of Vice President, the second highest constitutional office in the country, became vacant after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned due to illness. Following this, the Election Commission initiated the electoral process for the post of Vice President.
Election Time and Procedure
Today (Tuesday), Members of Parliament will have the opportunity to cast their votes at the Parliament House from 10 AM to 5 PM. Vote counting will begin from 6 PM, and results are expected to be announced in the evening.
A unique aspect of this election is that the party whip will not be applicable to the Members of Parliament. This means that MPs can vote for their preferred candidate through a secret ballot. Each MP will express their first preference by writing '1' next to the candidate's name on the ballot paper. They can also indicate their second and third preferences if they wish.
Why EVMs Were Not Used
The electoral process for the Vice President is different from Lok Sabha-Assembly elections. Here, elections are conducted under the Single Transferable Vote system, which is based on the Proportional Representation System.
For this reason, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are not used in these elections. Voters, i.e., Members of Parliament, simply mark their preference on the ballot paper.
Who is Ahead in Vote Count
The electoral college for the post of Vice President has a total of 788 members. This includes 245 Rajya Sabha members and 543 Lok Sabha members. Additionally, 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha will also be able to vote. However, due to 7 vacancies, 781 members will vote.
- 391 votes are required to win.
- The National Democratic Alliance has 425 MPs.
- The opposition has 324 MPs.
11 MPs from the YSRCP party have supported the National Democratic Alliance. Similarly, BRS and BJD parties have decided not to participate in the elections and remain neutral. In this situation, estimates clearly indicate that the National Democratic Alliance's candidate is in a b position.
National Democratic Alliance Candidate C. P. Radhakrishnan
The National Democratic Alliance has proposed Maharashtra Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan to contest for the post of Vice President. 67-year-old Radhakrishnan is a BJP leader from Tamil Nadu. He belongs to the Gounder-Konga Vellalar caste, an important OBC (Other Backward Classes) community in that region.
Radhakrishnan is known in the party as a quiet and non-controversial leader. He was elected as a Member of Lok Sabha twice from Coimbatore in 1998 and 1999. He has been serving as the Governor of Maharashtra since July 2024. In his election campaign, he has met with MPs from all states to seek support. The National Democratic Alliance considers his integrity and institutional experience as its greatest strengths.
Opposition Candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy
The opposition has fielded former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy for the Vice Presidential election. 79-year-old Reddy retired from the Supreme Court in July 2011. He is known for several important judgments throughout his long career.
He had severely criticized the government's negligence regarding black money. Furthermore, his declaration of the Chhattisgarh government's anti-Naxal campaign 'Salwa Judum' as unconstitutional became a topic of national debate at the time.
He served as a judge in the Andhra Pradesh High Court and as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. Additionally, he headed an important committee related to the caste-based census survey in Telangana. The opposition is presenting Reddy as an experienced and upright candidate. Furthermore, they believe that his judicial experience will strengthen Parliament and the democratic system.
