New Delhi: The race to elect India’s 15th Vice President began today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting the very first vote. Polling is being held in Parliament House, Room F-101, where the Prime Minister arrived promptly at 10 a.m., accompanied by Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Ram Mohan Naidu.
Voting will continue until 5 p.m., with leaders across party lines—including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge—expected to cast their ballots during the day. Members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated MPs, are eligible to vote. The counting of votes is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
The contest is a high-profile face-off between NDA candidate C. P. Radhakrishnan (67), the current Governor of Maharashtra, and the Opposition INDIA bloc’s nominee, Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy (79), a former Supreme Court judge. With voting conducted through a secret ballot, both camps are leaving no stone unturned to secure their votes and encourage possible cross-voting.
Out of a total strength of 781 MPs, a candidate requires 391 votes to clinch victory. The ruling NDA enters the contest with a clear edge, commanding 427 members across both Houses. The Opposition INDIA bloc, on the other hand, has 315 members—excluding the 12 AAP MPs who have extended support to Justice Reddy.
Meanwhile, the BJD (7 MPs), BRS (4 MPs), and Shiromani Akali Dal (1 MP) have announced they will abstain from voting. Despite the NDA’s numerical advantage, the INDIA alliance remains optimistic, banking on the possibility of cross-votes tilting the balance.
As the day unfolds, all eyes are on Parliament to see who will emerge as the country’s next Vice President.
