New Indian Vice President on Tuesday

NEW DELHI: The election for the post of Vice President, which fell vacant after the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankar, will be held on Tuesday. The contest is between NDA candidate Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, a native of Tamil Nadu, and "INDIA" Front candidate Justice B Sudarshan Reddy. Voting will be held from 10 am to 5 pm. Counting of votes will begin at 6 pm. The results will be announced on Tuesday.

The Vice President is elected by secret ballot by an electoral college of 781 members from both houses of Parliament.

The majority required is 391 votes. The NDA alone has 422 MPs. With the YSR Congress, which has 11 MPs, also expressing support, the NDA estimates that C.P. Radhakrishnan will win at least 433 votes to become the new Vice President.

'India' Front candidate Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy yesterday urged all MPs to prioritise the interests of the country over party interests. He added that he is asking for votes to bring back the soul of India. Meanwhile, there is a concern of cross-voting. Since it is a secret ballot, there is a possibility of conscience voting. Both fronts are anticipating it. The opposition is attempting to create a divide among YSR Congress votes by stoking Telugu sentiments. Jagdeep Dhankar became the Vice President by securing 528 votes in 2022. However, the NDA candidate's votes may not cross 500 this time.