NEW DELHI: The stage is set for Tuesday's Vice Presidential election , with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate CP Radhakrishnan facing off against INDIA bloc 's Justice B Sudershan Reddy .
The electoral process will take place in Parliament House from 10am to 5pm, with vote counting starting at 6pm. Both sides have conducted mock polls to ensure their MPs vote correctly and avoid ballot invalidation.
NDA nominee and Maharashtra governor CP Radhakrishnan holds a commanding lead against opposition INDIA bloc candidate and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy.
Also Read: Vice President Election 2025 Live Updates
Why the election came early
The election was triggered after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on July 21 over health concerns, cutting short his term as Vice President. With the vacancy opening up the second-highest constitutional office in the country, the Election Commission announced a fresh poll.
Preparations and campaign
In the run-up to the vote, both the NDA and the INDIA bloc conducted mock polls to ensure MPs understood the process and avoided errors that could invalidate their ballots.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi , attending an NDA meeting in Delhi on Monday, described Radhakrishnan’s candidature as one that had “generated immense enthusiasm all across.”
He added that people believed Radhakrishnan would be an “excellent Vice President” who would enrich the office with his “wisdom and insights.”
Polling will be held in Parliament House from 10am to 5pm, with counting beginning at 6pm.
The results are expected later in the evening.
How the numbers stack up
In the 781-member electoral college, the BJP-led NDA commands about 427 votes, comfortably above the majority mark of 391. The alliance’s strength is reinforced by the support of the YSR Congress Party with its 11 MPs.
Meanwhile, several parties have opted to stay away. The Biju Janata Dal (7 MPs), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (4 MPs), and the Shiromani Akali Dal have all announced they will abstain.
AAP’s Swati Maliwal, on the other hand, is expected to back Radhakrishnan.
On paper, the Congress-led INDIA bloc controls around 315 votes across both Houses. Even with a stronger presence in Parliament after last year’s Lok Sabha election, the opposition still faces a deficit of between 100 and 135 votes. Even if the BRS and BJD were to switch sides, and independents, single-MP parties, and the YSR Congress rallied behind Reddy, the INDIA bloc would still fall short by over 70 votes.
Who is NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan
CP Radhakrishnan, born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, began as an RSS swayamsevak and rose through the BJP ranks to become a two-time MP from Coimbatore in 1998 and 1999.
He served as state BJP president, chaired the Coir Board, and held key parliamentary roles, including heading the Standing Committee on Textiles. Known for his organisational work, he also led a 93-day ‘Ratha Yatra’ in Tamil Nadu and later served as BJP in-charge for Kerala.
In recent years, he has held gubernatorial posts in Jharkhand, Telangana, Puducherry, and since July 2024, Maharashtra. With over four decades in politics, he is seen as a seasoned BJP leader with strong roots in Tamil Nadu.
Who is INDIA bloc's candidate B Sudershan Reddy
B Sudershan Reddy, born on 8 July 1946, holds degrees in Arts and Law. He enrolled as an advocate at Hyderabad with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh on 27 December 1971 and primarily practised in writ and civil matters before the Andhra Pradesh high court.
Between 1988 and 1990, he served as Government Pleader in the same court and briefly worked as Additional Standing Counsel for the Central Government in 1990. He also acted as Legal Adviser and Standing Counsel for Osmania University. On 2 May 1995, he was appointed a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh high court, later becoming Chief Justice of the Gauhati high court on 5 December 2005.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on 12 January 2007 and served until his retirement on 8 July 2011. In March 2013, he was appointed the first Lokayukta of Goa but resigned within seven months, citing personal reasons.
Comparing with 2022
This election is closer than the 2022 vice-presidential contest, when NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar swept to victory with 528 votes against Margaret Alva’s 182. The opposition, buoyed by its better performance in the general election, is better placed numerically this time, but the gap remains decisive in favour of the NDA.
In 2017
In 2017, the NDA candidate and former Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu defeated the Opposition candidate, former diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi, by a margin of 272 votes. Naidu secured 516 votes, while Gandhi received 244. Out of 785 MPs, 771 cast their ballots, with the votes of 11 MPs declared invalid. Another 14 MPs from different parties did not vote for various reasons. The majority mark required for victory was 381 votes.
Who can become Vice President
The Constitution requires that a vice-presidential candidate be an Indian citizen at least 35 years old and eligible for membership of the Rajya Sabha. The nominee must not hold any office of profit under the Union or a state government, or under any local or public authority. To enter the contest, a candidate must secure the signatures of at least 20 proposers and 20 seconders from among Members of Parliament.
Powers and role of the VP
The Vice President serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, tasked with maintaining order and procedure in the Upper House.
The term lasts for five years, with the option of re-election.
In extraordinary circumstances, the Vice President also assumes the role of Acting President if the sitting President resigns, passes away, or is removed.
In such a scenario, the Vice President discharges presidential duties until a new election is held. However, while acting as President, the Vice President does not function as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
How voting takes place
The vice-president is chosen by an electoral college made up of members from both Houses of Parliament. At present, the college has 781 MPs, including 542 from the Lok Sabha and 239 from the Rajya Sabha, with the majority mark fixed at 391.
The election follows the proportional representation system through a single transferable vote, a method designed to ensure fairness and broader representation.
Voting is done by secret ballot to safeguard independence and prevent outside influence, while the Election Commission is responsible for conducting and supervising the entire process.
The electoral process will take place in Parliament House from 10am to 5pm, with vote counting starting at 6pm. Both sides have conducted mock polls to ensure their MPs vote correctly and avoid ballot invalidation.
NDA nominee and Maharashtra governor CP Radhakrishnan holds a commanding lead against opposition INDIA bloc candidate and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy.
Also Read: Vice President Election 2025 Live Updates
Why the election came early
The election was triggered after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on July 21 over health concerns, cutting short his term as Vice President. With the vacancy opening up the second-highest constitutional office in the country, the Election Commission announced a fresh poll.
Preparations and campaign
In the run-up to the vote, both the NDA and the INDIA bloc conducted mock polls to ensure MPs understood the process and avoided errors that could invalidate their ballots.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi , attending an NDA meeting in Delhi on Monday, described Radhakrishnan’s candidature as one that had “generated immense enthusiasm all across.”
He added that people believed Radhakrishnan would be an “excellent Vice President” who would enrich the office with his “wisdom and insights.”
Polling will be held in Parliament House from 10am to 5pm, with counting beginning at 6pm.
The results are expected later in the evening.
How the numbers stack up
In the 781-member electoral college, the BJP-led NDA commands about 427 votes, comfortably above the majority mark of 391. The alliance’s strength is reinforced by the support of the YSR Congress Party with its 11 MPs.
Meanwhile, several parties have opted to stay away. The Biju Janata Dal (7 MPs), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (4 MPs), and the Shiromani Akali Dal have all announced they will abstain.
AAP’s Swati Maliwal, on the other hand, is expected to back Radhakrishnan.
On paper, the Congress-led INDIA bloc controls around 315 votes across both Houses. Even with a stronger presence in Parliament after last year’s Lok Sabha election, the opposition still faces a deficit of between 100 and 135 votes. Even if the BRS and BJD were to switch sides, and independents, single-MP parties, and the YSR Congress rallied behind Reddy, the INDIA bloc would still fall short by over 70 votes.
Who is NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan
CP Radhakrishnan, born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, began as an RSS swayamsevak and rose through the BJP ranks to become a two-time MP from Coimbatore in 1998 and 1999.
He served as state BJP president, chaired the Coir Board, and held key parliamentary roles, including heading the Standing Committee on Textiles. Known for his organisational work, he also led a 93-day ‘Ratha Yatra’ in Tamil Nadu and later served as BJP in-charge for Kerala.
In recent years, he has held gubernatorial posts in Jharkhand, Telangana, Puducherry, and since July 2024, Maharashtra. With over four decades in politics, he is seen as a seasoned BJP leader with strong roots in Tamil Nadu.
Who is INDIA bloc's candidate B Sudershan Reddy
B Sudershan Reddy, born on 8 July 1946, holds degrees in Arts and Law. He enrolled as an advocate at Hyderabad with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh on 27 December 1971 and primarily practised in writ and civil matters before the Andhra Pradesh high court.
Between 1988 and 1990, he served as Government Pleader in the same court and briefly worked as Additional Standing Counsel for the Central Government in 1990. He also acted as Legal Adviser and Standing Counsel for Osmania University. On 2 May 1995, he was appointed a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh high court, later becoming Chief Justice of the Gauhati high court on 5 December 2005.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on 12 January 2007 and served until his retirement on 8 July 2011. In March 2013, he was appointed the first Lokayukta of Goa but resigned within seven months, citing personal reasons.
Comparing with 2022
This election is closer than the 2022 vice-presidential contest, when NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar swept to victory with 528 votes against Margaret Alva’s 182. The opposition, buoyed by its better performance in the general election, is better placed numerically this time, but the gap remains decisive in favour of the NDA.
In 2017
In 2017, the NDA candidate and former Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu defeated the Opposition candidate, former diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi, by a margin of 272 votes. Naidu secured 516 votes, while Gandhi received 244. Out of 785 MPs, 771 cast their ballots, with the votes of 11 MPs declared invalid. Another 14 MPs from different parties did not vote for various reasons. The majority mark required for victory was 381 votes.
Who can become Vice President
The Constitution requires that a vice-presidential candidate be an Indian citizen at least 35 years old and eligible for membership of the Rajya Sabha. The nominee must not hold any office of profit under the Union or a state government, or under any local or public authority. To enter the contest, a candidate must secure the signatures of at least 20 proposers and 20 seconders from among Members of Parliament.
Powers and role of the VP
The Vice President serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, tasked with maintaining order and procedure in the Upper House.
The term lasts for five years, with the option of re-election.
In extraordinary circumstances, the Vice President also assumes the role of Acting President if the sitting President resigns, passes away, or is removed.
In such a scenario, the Vice President discharges presidential duties until a new election is held. However, while acting as President, the Vice President does not function as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
How voting takes place
The vice-president is chosen by an electoral college made up of members from both Houses of Parliament. At present, the college has 781 MPs, including 542 from the Lok Sabha and 239 from the Rajya Sabha, with the majority mark fixed at 391.
The election follows the proportional representation system through a single transferable vote, a method designed to ensure fairness and broader representation.
Voting is done by secret ballot to safeguard independence and prevent outside influence, while the Election Commission is responsible for conducting and supervising the entire process.
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