Vice-Presidential Election Today: MPs to Decide Between Radhakrishnan and Sudershan Reddy
NEW DELHI – India’s Members of Parliament will cast their votes today to elect the next Vice-President, choosing between National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan and Opposition nominee Justice B. Sudershan Reddy. With all 725 eligible MPs – 543 from Lok Sabha and 182 from Rajya Sabha – expected to participate, the outcome will determine the nation’s second-highest constitutional officeholder.
The election is significant as the Vice-President also serves as the Chairman of the Rajya sabha, wielding considerable influence over legislative proceedings. The position becomes particularly crucial given the potential for a fractured mandate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. C.P. Radhakrishnan, a veteran BJP leader and current Maharashtra Governor, represents the ruling coalition, while former Supreme Court judge justice B. Sudershan Reddy is the candidate backed by the Opposition’s INDIA bloc.
Several parties have opted to abstain from the vote. The Bharat Rashtra samithi (BRS) cited “anguish” over the shortage of urea for Telangana farmers, alleging both the Congress and BJP have failed to address the issue. Similarly, the Shiromani akali Dal (SAD) will boycott the poll in the wake of recent floods in Punjab.
C.P. Radhakrishnan brings decades of political experience to the contest, having previously served as a Lok Sabha MP and Governor of Jharkhand, along with his tenure as Tamil Nadu BJP president from 2004 to 2007, where he is credited with building the party’s presence in the South. Justice Reddy, who retired from the Supreme Court in 2011 after a five-year term, would be the first former top court judge to hold the Vice-Presidential office if elected.Voting will take place in Parliament House from 10 AM to 5 PM,with counting of votes scheduled for the same evening. The new Vice-President will assume office upon the expiration of the current vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu’s term on August 10th.