Ruling BJP-led NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan will face INDIA bloc’s nominee former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy in the Vice-Presidential election on September 9. The race for the VP is being seen as a ‘south vs south’ face-off, as Radhakrishnan hails from Tamil Nadu while Reddy is from Telangana.
Radhakrishnan, a BJP leader and the current Governor of Maharashtra, has long been associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and has served as the BJP’s state president in Tamil Nadu from 2004 to 2007.
Ahead of the vice presidential election, Reddy on Sunday urged MPs to rise above party lines and vote in the spirit of democracy. He appealed to MPs to act with moral responsibility and love for the nation. “There is no party whip in this election, and the ballot is secret. It is not loyalty to any political party, but love for the country that must guide your choice,” Reddy said in his 12-minute video message.
How do numbers stack up for Radhakrishnan vs Reddy?
For the opposition, the polls are largely the same as Vice-Presidential elections in 2017 and 2022, where the contest was symbolic. Here’s how the numbers stack up for the INDIA bloc’s VP candidate.
The Vice President is elected by members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, comprising a 787-member electoral college. A candidate needs at least 394 votes to win. With 422 MPs backing Radhakrishnan, including 293 from the Lok Sabha and 129 from the Rajya Sabha, the NDA’s path to victory appears almost certain.
INDIA bloc’s tally
The INDIA bloc’s tally stands at around 300, including parties like the Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party, CPI(M), RJD, AAP and others. While efforts are underway to rope in additional support from YSR Congress and Biju Janata Dal, even their backing would fall short of overcoming the NDA’s lead. Unless unexpected defections from the NDA occur — a scenario highly unlikely — CP Radhakrishnan’s election as the next Vice President of India is virtually assured.
Dhankhar’s resignation
The election was necessitated by the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on the first day of the Monsoon Session (July 21). He cited poor health as reason to step down. While the government downplayed his exit, whom NDA first appointed as its VP candidate in 2022, the opposition raised it as an internal clash with higher-ups in the government leading to Dhankhar’s resignation.