The election for India’s new Vice President will take place on Tuesday, September 9. The contest comes nearly two months after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned suddenly, citing health reasons.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate. The Opposition INDIA bloc has nominated former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy.
Voting and Counting Process
Voting will begin at 10 am on Tuesday and continue till 5 pm. Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha will cast their votes. Counting of votes will start at 6 pm the same day.
The electoral college for this election includes:
- 233 elected members of the Rajya Sabha (5 seats vacant)
- 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha
- 543 elected members of the Lok Sabha (1 seat vacant)
This makes a total of 786 members, and the majority mark is 394 votes.
Numbers Favor NDA
The NDA has a clear majority in Parliament, which gives it a strong edge. In the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led alliance has the support of 293 members. In the Rajya Sabha, the ruling bloc has backing from 129 members, making its total strength 422 MPs.
With this number, the NDA easily crosses the victory mark. Parties like the BRS and BJD have decided to stay away from voting. This further strengthens the NDA’s position.
Why the Election Was Needed
The election became necessary after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post of Vice President on July 21. He said he stepped down to “prioritise health care and abide by medical advice.”
His resignation took effect immediately under Article 67(a) of the Constitution. Dhankhar had been serving as India’s Vice President since 2022. Earlier, he was the Governor of West Bengal from 2019 to 2022.
Who is CP Radhakrishnan?
The NDA candidate, CP Radhakrishnan, is a senior BJP leader and the current Governor of Maharashtra. He belongs to the Goundar-Kongu Vellalar OBC community in Tamil Nadu.
Radhakrishnan, aged 68, has a long political career. He was one of the very few BJP leaders from Tamil Nadu to win a Lok Sabha seat twice in 1998 and 1999. Within the party, he is seen as a soft-spoken and non-controversial leader, rooted in RSS ideology.
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He took charge as Maharashtra Governor on July 31, 2024. He has also served as the Governor of Telangana, Jharkhand, and Puducherry earlier.
Who is Sudershan Reddy?
The opposition INDIA bloc has chosen Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, a retired Supreme Court judge. He is 79 years old and comes from Andhra Pradesh.
Reddy retired from the apex court in July 2011. He is known for his bold judgments. In one case, he declared Salwa Judum, a Chhattisgarh government initiative against Naxals, as unconstitutional.
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He also criticised the Union government in cases related to black money, questioning delays and lack of action.
With his background, the INDIA bloc is pitching this election as a battle of ideologies rather than individuals.
