Vice Presidential election: What NDA, INDIA numbers say
What's the story
The Vice Presidential election in India will be held on September 9. The election was necessitated after Jagdeep Dhankhar's unexpected resignation as Vice President on July 21. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the upcoming election. However, the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc is yet to announce its candidate.
Election strategy
We will talk to the opposition as well: JP Nadda
BJP National President JP Nadda announced Radhakrishnan's candidature after a Parliamentary Board meeting in New Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been appointed as the NDA's supervisor for the election, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju as the election agent. Nadda said, "We will talk to the opposition as well... We should also get their support so that together we can ensure an unopposed election for the post of Vice President."
Candidate profile
Who is Radhakrishnan?
Radhakrishnan, a veteran BJP leader, is currently the 24th Governor of Maharashtra. He has served as the Governor of Jharkhand and held additional responsibilities in Telangana and Puducherry. He started his political career with RSS and Jan Sangh at 16 in 1974. The electoral college for this election comprises all members of both Houses of Parliament, elected and nominated, totaling 788 MPs (543 elected members of the Lok Sabha and 245 members of the Rajya Sabha).
Election timeline
INDIA bloc yet to announce candidate
The INDIA bloc is yet to announce its candidate for the Vice Presidential election. The last date for filing nominations is August 21. If the INDIA bloc doesn't field a candidate, Radhakrishnan will be elected unopposed. However, if they do field a candidate, it will be a direct contest between Radhakrishnan and the INDIA bloc's nominee.
Contested candidature
What happens if INDIA bloc fields candidate?
To win the vice presidential election, a candidate must secure more than half of the total votes (392 votes) in a full house where everyone votes. In the Lok Sabha, the NDA has 293 votes in its favor, while the INDIA bloc has 249. In the Rajya Sabha, the NDA has the support of 130 MPs out of 240. As such, barring the instance that NDA MPs rebel and vote for the INDIA candidate, Radhakrishnan is likely to win.