Vice Presidential Election 2025: NDA’s C.P. Radhakrishnan Faces INDIA Bloc’s B. Sudershan Reddy in High-Stakes Poll
New Delhi, September 9, 2025 – India is electing its 15th Vice President today in a high-stakes contest between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, and the opposition INDIA bloc’s nominee, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy. The election, necessitated by the sudden resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in July 2025, began at 10:00 AM IST in the Parliament House’s Vasudha room (F-101) and will conclude at 5:00 PM, with results expected by late evening. The polling, conducted by secret ballot, underscores deep ideological divisions, with the NDA holding a numerical edge but the opposition banking on cross-voting to challenge the outcome.
The Electoral Process
The Vice Presidential election involves an electoral college of 781 Members of Parliament (MPs)—542 from the Lok Sabha and 239 from the Rajya Sabha, including 12 nominated members—due to one vacant Lok Sabha seat and six vacant Rajya Sabha seats. Voting follows the single transferable vote (STV) system with proportional representation, where MPs rank candidates by marking ‘1’ for their preferred choice. A candidate needs at least 391 votes to secure a majority. However, with 14 MPs from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and two independents abstaining, the effective voting strength is 767, lowering the majority mark to 384.
The Election Commission, with Rajya Sabha Secretary-General P.C. Mody as the Returning Officer, oversees the process. Polling agents for the NDA include Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Ram Mohan Naidu, and Shrikant Shinde, while the INDIA bloc is represented by MPs Syed Naseer Hussain, Manickam Tagore, and Shatabdi Roy for polling, with Shakti Singh Gohil and Tagore overseeing counting. The Candidates
C.P. Radhakrishnan, 67, a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu and current Maharashtra Governor, is the NDA’s choice. A former two-term Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore (1998–2004) and Tamil Nadu BJP president (2004–2007), Radhakrishnan is pitched as an “untainted leader” with deep administrative experience, credited with strengthening the BJP’s foothold in South India. His RSS roots and governorships in Jharkhand, Telangana, and Maharashtra bolster his credentials to chair the Rajya Sabha, a role the Vice President holds ex officio. Radhakrishnan expressed confidence in a “big victory for Indian nationalism,” visiting Delhi’s Shree Ram Mandir to offer prayers before voting began.
B. Sudershan Reddy, 79, a retired Supreme Court judge from Telangana, is the INDIA bloc’s nominee and the first former apex court judge to contest the Vice Presidential post. Born in Rangareddy district, Reddy rose from a lawyer to a Supreme Court judge (2007–2011), known for landmark rulings like declaring the Chhattisgarh-backed Salwa Judum militia unconstitutional in 2011 and probing black money cases. The opposition frames him as a champion of constitutional values and social justice, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge calling the election an “ideological battle” against assaults on democracy. Reddy, in a video appeal, urged MPs to vote “for the spirit of India itself,” expressing confidence in victory without explicitly predicting cross-voting. Political Dynamics and Strategies
The NDA, with 425 MPs and additional support from the YSR Congress Party’s 11 MPs, holds a clear numerical advantage, totaling 436 votes against the INDIA bloc’s 324. Union Minister Chirag Paswan dismissed rumors of NDA discord, asserting, “Many opposition MPs have bestowed their trust upon [Radhakrishnan].” BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana predicted a majority exceeding 80–100 votes, citing Radhakrishnan’s experience in strengthening parliamentary democracy. The NDA’s choice of Radhakrishnan, a Tamil Nadu native, created a dilemma for the DMK, an INDIA ally, due to regional pride, though DMK leader M.K. Stalin backed Reddy after consultations.
The INDIA bloc, unified under Reddy’s candidacy, frames the contest as a defense of constitutional values against the NDA’s alleged attempts to stifle opposition voices. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, after voting, emphasized the need for an impartial Vice President, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi accused the BJP of “murdering the soul of democracy” by forcing Dhankhar’s resignation. The opposition’s nomination of Reddy, from Andhra Pradesh, strategically pressures NDA ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and others in the Telugu-speaking states, though TDP’s Nara Lokesh reaffirmed support for Radhakrishnan. AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi is the only non-INDIA MP backing Reddy.
Voting and Public Sentiment
By 3:00 PM IST, 96% of MPs had voted, with prominent figures like PM Narendra Modi, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and J.P. Nadda casting their ballots. A notable moment of camaraderie saw Gadkari and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge walking hand-in-hand to the polling venue, exchanging smiles. The secret ballot system, which does not bind MPs to party whips, raises the possibility of cross-voting, a factor that proved decisive in Dhankhar’s 2022 victory with 75% of votes.
Posts on X reflect polarized sentiment, with BJP supporters rallying behind Radhakrishnan as a symbol of “Viksit Bharat,” while opposition voices, including @INCIndia, express confidence in Reddy’s win, citing his judicial legacy. Some posts, like one from @Indian_Analyzer, criticized Reddy’s Salwa Judum ruling as “leftist,” alleging it aided Naxalism, though these claims remain unverified and contentious.
Context and Implications
The election follows Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation on July 21, 2025, citing health reasons, though opposition leaders like Congress’s Sachin Pilot questioned the timing, alleging political motives. The INDIA bloc’s framing of the contest as an ideological battle reflects broader concerns about democratic erosion, with Kharge citing stifled opposition voices in Parliament. The NDA, however, projects Radhakrishnan as a unifying figure for India’s 2047 development vision. The outcome, expected by 9:00 PM IST after vote counting begins at 6:00 PM, will determine
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