Vice Presidential polls today: NDA favoured, voting from 10 AM in high-stakes contest

The race for India’s Vice President is set for today in a direct contest between the NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan and the Opposition’s B Sudershan Reddy.

The BJP-led alliance holds a clear edge, though sources say the margin may not be large.

Every vote is being closely tracked to avoid slips.

Voting will start at 10 am and continue until 5 pm. Counting will begin after 6 pm, with results expected later in the evening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will cast his vote at 10 am and will be the first to do so.

CP Radhakrishnan, Maharashtra’s Governor and NDA’s candidate, faces off against retired Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy, supported by the Opposition. Both candidates come from southern India — Radhakrishnan from Tamil Nadu and Reddy from Telangana.

The election was prompted by the resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21 due to health reasons.

Despite having a comfortable lead with 427 MPs across both Houses and confirmed support from allies like YSR Congress, the NDA is leaving nothing to chance. Sources say the ruling alliance has drawn up a detailed plan and is monitoring MPs carefully.

MPs are grouped and placed under ministers’ supervision. Each group will gather in the morning for breakfast before heading to Parliament. For instance, MPs from Uttar Pradesh will assemble at Piyush Goyal’s residence, while MPs from northern states will meet at Manohar Lal Khattar’s house. Southern MPs will gather at Prahlad Joshi’s residence, and MPs from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will meet at Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s home.

In a video message to MPs, B Sudershan Reddy urged members not to vote along party lines. “In this election, there is no party whip, and the ballot is secret. It is not loyalty to any political party, but love for the country that must guide your choice. Each one of you carry the moral responsibility to preserve the conscience, the soul of our beloved nation,” he said.

He added, “By entrusting me with this office, you will be choosing to defend parliamentary traditions, to restore dignity to debate, and to ensure that the Rajya Sabha stands as a true temple of democracy.”

The Election Commission oversees the process, with a senior parliamentary official as Returning Officer. A candidate needs at least 20 proposers and 20 seconders from among MPs to file nominations. A security deposit of ₹15,000 is also mandatory.

MPs vote by ranking candidates in order of preference. A candidate must secure more than half of valid votes to win. If no candidate achieves this, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred based on next preferences until a winner emerges.

Although MPs vote in secret and are not bound by party lines, cross-voting is common. In the 2022 election, several Opposition MPs voted for the BJP’s candidate, Jagdeep Dhankhar. With a narrower margin this time, NDA is enforcing strict ‘man to man marking’ to avoid disruptions or poaching.

The election outcome will shape the direction of parliamentary traditions and democratic values.