Vice President Election 2025: What You Need to Know
Two months after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation, preparations for the election of the 15th Vice President are now complete. In this election, the MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will vote to decide whether NDA’s candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan will win or India Alliance’s B. Sudarshan Reddy.
आज होने वाले इस रोमांचक मुकाबले में दोनों नेताओं की किस्मत का फैसला होगा और नतीजे भी आज ही घोषित किए जाएंगे।
No major upset is expected in the Vice Presidential election, as the BJP-led NDA alliance is in a strong position in terms of numbers and C.P. Radhakrishnan has received its support. On the other hand, India Block and many opposition parties are trying to give a tough challenge to the NDA candidate.
Who are the candidates?
For the post of Vice President, NDA has fielded the current Governor of Maharashtra C.P. Radhakrishnan. On the other hand, the opposition parties have fielded former Supreme Court judge Sudarshan Reddy as their candidate.
C.P. Radhakrishnan is a senior BJP leader. He was a two-time MP from Coimbatore during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Before becoming the Governor of Maharashtra in July 2024, he has also been the Governor of Jharkhand.
Sudarshan Reddy is a well-known jurist of the country. He was a judge in the Supreme Court from 2007 to retirement in 2011. He also became the first Lokayukta of Goa, but left the post after seven months due to personal reasons. While in the Supreme Court, he gave many important decisions, including declaring the Salwa Judum formed by the Chhattisgarh government unconstitutional.
Date and place of election
Voting for the election of the 15th Vice President of the country will be held on Tuesday, September 9, in Room No. F-101 in Vasudha Block of Parliament House. Voting will be held from 10 am to 5 pm and the results will be declared on the same day as soon as the voting is completed. The process will be monitored by Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Modi, who has been appointed as the Election Officer.
Who will cast the vote?
The Vice President is elected by the same electoral college that elects the President. It includes 233 elected and 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, as well as 543 MPs of the Lok Sabha. There should have been a total of 788 voters, but due to some seats being vacant, this time 781 MPs will cast their votes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first to vote and MPs from Punjab and Haryana will also vote with him.
Who with whom?
The NDA candidate has the support of BJP as well as JD(U), TDP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), NCP and many other allies. On the other hand, the India Alliance candidate has the support of Congress, DMK, JMM, RJD, TMC, Left parties, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and many other opposition parties. AAP and AIMIM have also announced their support to Reddy. On the other hand, some parties like BJD, BRS and Akali Dal have decided to remain neutral.
What does the math say?
391 votes are needed to win this election. According to the current figures, the NDA has the support of 422 MPs, which is enough for a majority. The BJP alone is already in a strong position with 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 129 MPs in the Rajya Sabha.
What facilities does the Vice President get?
The Vice President of India is the second largest constitutional post in the country, but he does not get a separate salary. He is the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha and for this role he gets a salary of ₹ 4 lakh per month. Along with this, they are given many facilities like government accommodation, free medical treatment, rail and air travel facilities, phone and internet connection, security and personal staff.
