Vice Presidential Election's Voting Process Commences; Prime Minister Modi and Sonia Gandhi Exercise Their Franchise
The Vice Presidential election in India commenced at 10 am on Tuesday, with the NDA's candidate, CP Radhakrishnan, holding a significant advantage. The electoral college, consisting of 781 MPs, sees the NDA boasting a majority with 425 MPs, while the opposition has 324.
The opposition bloc, however, has rallied behind two candidates: Jagdeep Dhankhar, the official opposition candidate, and B. Sudershan Reddy, supported by the opposition INDIA bloc.
CP Radhakrishnan, currently the Maharashtra Governor, is all but assured of victory, given the current numbers. He needs 391 votes to secure a majority, a mark he seems poised to surpass.
The Vice President serves as the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and is not a member of either House of Parliament or any state legislature. Members of both Houses are casting their votes through a secret ballot using the single transferable vote system.
Notable figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and former Prime Minister and JD(S) MP HD Deve Gowda, were among the first to cast their votes.
Results for the Vice Presidential election are expected after 6 pm on the same day.
B. Sudershan Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge, is the other contender in the race, backed by the opposition. The election's outcome will have significant implications for the political landscape of India.
In preparation for the election, NDA MPs were earlier trained on the postal ballot process. The election's conclusion will usher in a new Vice President, who will play a crucial role in the functioning of the Rajya Sabha.
