Voting Begins for Vice Presidential Election; PM Modi First to Cast Vote

Voting for the vice presidential election began on Tuesday morning at Parliament House, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being the first to cast his vote.

The election is a direct contest between NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan and joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy. With the BJP-led NDA holding a clear numerical advantage, Radhakrishnan is widely expected to win. The poll was necessitated following the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Among the early voters were senior Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Kiren Rijiju, along with Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav.

Members of both Houses of Parliament — 543 from the Lok Sabha and 245 from the Rajya Sabha, including 12 nominated members — form the electoral college of 788. However, with seven vacancies, the current strength stands at 781, making 391 votes the majority mark. The NDA commands the support of 425 MPs, while the opposition has the backing of 324 MPs.

Voting will continue until 5 PM, followed by counting at 6 PM. Results are expected later in the evening. The election is conducted under a secret ballot system, and MPs are not bound by party whips.