VP election Tomorrow: NDA Holds Edge, Opposition Eyes Upset

By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
Sep 08, 2025
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India will elect its new Vice President on Tuesday, September 9, with voting scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm inside Parliament House and results expected by the evening. The election comes 50 days after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation on July 21, ending his tenure midway.

The Contest

The NDA has fielded Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, while the Opposition INDIA bloc has nominated retired Supreme Court Justice Sudarshan Reddy. With its numerical strength, the NDA holds a clear edge, though the Opposition hopes cross-voting in the secret ballot could narrow the gap, making this one of the closest contests in two decades.

Electoral Math

Lok Sabha strength: 542 (1 seat vacant) → NDA has 293 MPs

Rajya Sabha strength: 245 (5 seats vacant) → NDA has 129 MPs

NDA’s combined tally: 422 MPs

Majority required: 391 MPs

If MPs vote strictly on party lines, Radhakrishnan is projected to secure 439 votes, while Reddy could get 324 votes. However, since whips cannot be issued, both sides are bracing for possible cross-voting.

Preparations in Delhi

BJP MPs will be briefed on the voting procedure today.

INDIA bloc will conduct a mock poll for its members to avoid invalid ballots.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will host a dinner meeting for allies.

Rules of Voting

MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha form the electoral college.

Each MP’s vote carries equal value.

Voting must be done with a special pen and only first preference should be marked, else the vote is invalid.

In 2017, 11 votes were invalid; in 2022, 15 votes were rejected.

Trends and Past Results

The margin of victory has steadily widened in recent elections:

2002: Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (NDA) beat Sushil Shinde by 149 votes.