Radhakrishnan in commanding lead as NDA shores up numbers in vice-presidential race

The ruling BJP-led NDA appears firmly poised to clinch the vice-presidential election on Tuesday, with its candidate C P Radhakrishnan in a commanding position against Opposition INDIA bloc nominee Justice (retired) B. Sudershan Reddy.

Strategic abstentions by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), coupled with firm support from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), have further tilted the numbers in the NDA’s favour.

The contest, necessitated by the sudden resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar citing health concerns, has drawn sharp battle lines but little suspense over the likely outcome. With 425 MPs already in its fold, including 342 from the BJP, the NDA commands a clear edge over the Opposition’s 324. The YSRCP’s backing has further strengthened the ruling camp’s prospects, while the abstention of the BJD and BRS reduces the effective strength of the electoral college to 770, pegging the majority mark at 386.

BJD, BRS step aside; YSRCP rallies behind NDA

Both BJD and BRS, which are not formally aligned with either bloc, announced Monday that they would sit out the election. BJD MP Sasmit Patra explained the decision as a continuation of the party’s equidistance policy: “We are focused on the development and welfare of Odisha and its 4.5 crore people.” The party, now out of power after losing the 2024 polls, holds seven Rajya Sabha seats.

The BRS, with four members in the Upper House, cited farmers’ issues to justify its abstention. “Neither camp has assured us of help with the urea shortage in Telangana,” said MP K. R. Suresh Reddy. “Had NOTA been an option, we would have exercised it.”

In contrast, the YSRCP, led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has thrown its weight behind Radhakrishnan, adding 11 MPs to the NDA’s tally.

Battle lines drawn

Both camps have been rallying their MPs with precision. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders conducted a mock drill with their MPs at a two-day “Sansad Karyashala” workshop in Delhi. On the Opposition side, top leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, and T. R. Baalu convened in Parliament’s Central Hall for a unity show and mock poll. Rahul Gandhi, currently abroad, is expected to return in time for voting.

The Opposition, stung by 15 wasted ballots in the 2022 contest, has instructed MPs to exercise extra caution this time. Congress MPs Syed Naseer Hussain and Manickam Tagore, along with TMC’s Satabdi Roy, will serve as polling agents for Justice Reddy.

Profiles of the contenders

Radhakrishnan, 68, a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu and the current Governor of Maharashtra, is a veteran RSS-BJP functionary and the first BJP leader from the state to secure back-to-back parliamentary victories.

Justice Reddy, who retired from the Supreme Court in 2011, is making history as the first former apex court judge to contest the vice-presidential election. His most notable judgment came in 2011, when he declared the controversial Salwa Judum militia in Chhattisgarh unconstitutional.

Numbers leave little suspense

The electoral college of 781 MPs will shrink to 770 with the abstentions. With the NDA comfortably above the majority threshold and buoyed by YSRCP’s backing, Radhakrishnan looks set to secure a decisive victory — a repeat of the 2022 poll when Jagdeep Dhankhar swept to power with 528 votes against Margaret Alva’s 182.