It’s an important day in Indian politics. Members of Parliament will cast their votes today (September 9) to elect the country’s 15th vice president. The election comes after the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, officially citing health reasons. But political circles suggest the real trigger was his reported clash with the BJP-led central government over the impeachment of a high court judge.
The Contestants
CP Radhakrishnan (NDA nominee)
- Governor of Maharashtra since July 2024
- Former Governor of Jharkhand
- BJP veteran, two-time MP from Coimbatore during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure
B Sudershan Reddy (INDIA bloc nominee)
- Former Supreme Court judge (2007–2011)
- Known for landmark judgments, including declaring Chhattisgarh’s Salwa Judum unconstitutional
- First Lokayukta of Goa, resigned within seven months citing personal reasons
When and Where
- Date: September 9, Tuesday
- Venue: Room F-101, Vasudha, Parliament House
- Polling: 10 am to 5 pm
- Counting: Begins after 6 pm, result expected the same evening
- First Voter: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Returning Officer: Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody
How the Election Works
The vice president is chosen by an electoral college of 788 MPs (543 Lok Sabha, 233 elected Rajya Sabha, 12 nominated Rajya Sabha). Currently, seven seats are vacant, bringing the effective strength to 781. With BJD and BRS abstaining, the voting pool dips to 770 MPs. The winning mark is 386 votes.
Voting is held by secret ballot using proportional representation and a single transferable vote system. Unlike general elections, EVMs aren’t used here because the process involves ranking candidates by preference on paper ballots.
If no candidate crosses the halfway mark in the first count, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated and preferences are transferred until a winner emerges.
Party Positions
Backing Radhakrishnan (NDA): BJP, JD(U), TDP, Shiv Sena (Shinde), NCP (Ajit Pawar), and allies.
Backing Reddy (INDIA bloc): Congress, DMK, TMC, JMM, RJD, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Left parties, AAP, AIMIM.
Abstaining: BJD, BRS, SAD.
The Numbers Game
- NDA and allies command around 427 MPs, comfortably above the majority mark.
- INDIA bloc counts about 324 MPs, led by Congress with 126.
- With abstentions, NDA’s math looks decisive.
For context, in 2022, Jagdeep Dhankhar had won the vice-presidential election with 528 votes, defeating Margaret Alva who secured 182.
Role and Perks of the Vice President
The vice president serves as presiding officer of the Rajya Sabha and can act as President if the post falls vacant until a successor is chosen. The role carries a salary of ₹4 lakh per month as Rajya Sabha chairman, along with residence, security, staff, travel, and medical perks. The term lasts five years.
