India To Elect New Vice President Today

The Vice Presidential election will take place today, with polling scheduled from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM inside the New Parliament Building in New Delhi.

The contest is between CP Radhakrishnan, the NDA’s nominee and current Governor of Maharashtra, and B Sudershan Reddy, the INDIA bloc’s candidate and a former Supreme Court judge.

This vote carries major political importance, as the Vice President also serves as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, a post central to the smooth functioning of Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely cast the first ballot.

Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Ram Mohan Naidu, along with Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, named as official election agents.

Counting will begin at 6:00 PM, with results expected later in the evening.

The electoral college consists of 781 MPs, including 542 from the Lok Sabha and 239 from the Rajya Sabha (233 elected and 12 nominated, with six current vacancies).

Each vote carries equal value, and voters cast their ballots by secret ballot.

The winning candidate must secure at least 391 votes.

Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on 21 July, citing health reasons, prompting the election on the first day of the monsoon session.

His departure left the Vice President’s office vacant and created a leadership gap in the Upper House, adding to the significance of today’s outcome.

Analysts expect a close watch on voting patterns. While the NDA holds a numerical edge in Parliament, the possibility of cross-voting means the final tally will be closely scrutinised.

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