A significant day in Indian politics unfolds as Members of Parliament vote to elect the country’s 14th Vice President, a position that also holds the crucial role of Rajya Sabha Chairperson. The race features a direct face-off between the ruling NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan and the INDIA bloc’s nominee, retired Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy.

Voting began at 10:00 am inside the new Parliament building, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the process by casting the first ballot. He later posted on X, “Voted in the 2025 vice president election,” before departing to visit flood-affected regions in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Among other early voters were Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as senior BJP figures JP Nadda and Nitin Gadkari. Voting is set to continue until 5:00 pm, with counting scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm. The result is expected later in the evening.

The election comes nearly 50 days after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on July 21, citing medical advice. Though Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed the resignation was strictly due to health issues, Opposition leaders have speculated about other potential reasons. Shah dismissed such claims, calling them baseless and urging political parties not to politicise the matter.

The current electoral college comprises 781 MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. With abstentions announced by the BRS and BJD, the effective voting strength drops to 770, placing the majority threshold at 386.

NDA Eyes 436 Votes, But Cross-Voting May Narrow Margin

“This is a very close fight. In the 2017 election, the margin was 207 votes. This time, the difference could be under 100,” said CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar. “The candidature of Sudershan Reddy has brought together all political forces, making it a close contest.”

In contrast, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi projected confidence. “There really isn’t any contest. Let me tell you, very humbly but confidently, that what happened in 2017 and 2022 will repeat itself. History will repeat itself,” she remarked.

To ensure voting discipline, the NDA has reportedly organised its MPs into tightly coordinated groups under the supervision of Union Ministers, a move aimed at minimising absenteeism or defections. Southern MPs are being coordinated by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, while Piyush Goyal is overseeing MPs from Uttar Pradesh. Other senior leaders like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Manohar Lal Khattar, and Arjun Meghwal are also assigned to closely monitor the process.

The Opposition also held a strategy session on Monday, emphasising clarity in voting to prevent ballot invalidation. MPs were advised to mark only the number ‘1’ next to their preferred candidate and not to indicate a second preference unless a tie occurs, a measure intended to avoid mistakes that marred previous elections.

This year’s NDA nominee, CP Radhakrishnan, is a veteran BJP leader and the current Governor of Maharashtra. At 68, he brings decades of political experience and is considered a prominent OBC face from Tamil Nadu. His nomination is widely viewed as the BJP’s strategic outreach to southern India ahead of upcoming elections in the region.

“We are all one, we will be one, and we want India to become Viksit Bharat,” Radhakrishnan said, expressing his optimism about the outcome. He described his candidacy as a victory for “Indian nationalism.”

His opponent, Justice B Sudershan Reddy, 79, is a former Supreme Court judge with a reputation for holding institutions accountable. Known for striking down the Chhattisgarh government’s controversial Salwa Judum militia and criticising the government’s handling of black money cases, Reddy’s candidacy symbolises the Opposition’s focus on constitutional values and social justice.

“This is a fight for the Constitution… I thank the people for the love I got and the response of the society,” Justice Reddy stated. “I am trying to awaken people’s conscience.”

Although Reddy hails from Telangana, his selection has also taken on a regional angle. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury appealed to the BRS to reconsider its abstention, emphasising that Reddy is a Telugu-speaking leader with deep connections to the state. “I want to tell the BRS that this is an important day for Telangana. Reddy is a candidate from South India. He has worked for Telangana. Reddy speaks Telugu, and BRS is not voting for him. It is a matter of shame,” she said.

BRS, BJD, Akali Dal to Skip VP Poll

Notably, three parties the BRS, BJD, and Shiromani Akali Dal have declared they will not participate in the vote. The Akali Dal cited dissatisfaction over the response to floods in Punjab as their reason for boycotting the election.

Of the 39 MPs not aligned with either bloc, most are expected to back Radhakrishnan. AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi has pledged support for Justice Reddy, but the NDA believes that the majority of these undecided votes will go their way. “He is a nationalist and a very good person,” said Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, referring to Radhakrishnan.

Both candidates have made efforts to court support over the past few weeks. Since his nomination on August 20, Radhakrishnan has met with MPs across states. Justice Reddy, meanwhile, has engaged in outreach meetings with several opposition leaders, though his meeting with RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, a convicted politician drew criticism from the BJP.

As the nation awaits the result tonight, attention will not only be on who wins but also by what margin. A narrow victory or evidence of cross-voting could signal shifting dynamics in Parliament and energise the Opposition ahead of future electoral battles.