Vice-presidential race becomes clash of narratives not just numbers

The race to become India’s vice-president has sharpened into a straight contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA’s) C.P. Radhakrishnan and the INDIA bloc’s Justice (Retd.) B. Sudershan Reddy, setting up a test of floor discipline ahead of a 9 September poll.

The Election Commission notified the schedule on 7 August, with nominations closing 21 August and voting on 9 September, if required.

Radhakrishnan, currently Maharashtra governor and a veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader, filed his nomination in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the lead proposer, underscoring the NDA’s intent to lock in a comfortable win.

INDIA’s pick Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge and Goa’s first Lokayukta, was announced by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who framed the contest as an ideological fight to “defend the Constitution.”

The early election follows the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar last month on health grounds, triggering a vacancy under Article 68 that must be filled “as soon as possible.”

The vice president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of both Houses of Parliament, including nominated Rajya Sabha members, through a single transferable vote by secret ballot.

The government’s own guidance notes that the 2025 electoral college ordinarily totals 788 MPs, though current vacancies bring the voting strength lower.

On paper, the NDA enters the contest with clear arithmetic advantages across Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, a view echoed in recent tallies of parliamentary strength.

Analysts said the INDIA bloc’s strategy is to unify allies, reduce defections, and frame the vote as a statement on institutional checks and balances rather than an exercise in numbers.

Radhakrishnan brings long experience in public life. A two-term member of Parliament from Coimbatore and former Jharkhand governor, he moved to Raj Bhavan in Maharashtra in 2024 and has also held additional constitutional charges.

His nomination paperwork, submitted with a phalanx of NDA leaders, signals the ruling coalition’s bid for a smooth, high-margin victory.

Reddy’s candidacy gives the opposition a jurist with independent credentials and national name recognition.

Beyond his tenure on the top court, he served as Goa’s first Lokayukta, a role that placed him in the thick of early state-level anti-corruption architecture.

INDIA bloc leaders cast his run as a bid to elevate a constitutionalist to the chair that presides over the Rajya Sabha.

While the vote will be decided by MPs, regional dynamics still matter.

The BJP’s pick has put southern allies and adversaries alike under scrutiny, as parties weigh alignments and optics.
Coverage of the nomination in state capitals has already turned partisan, reflecting the national stakes invested in what is formally a non-partisan constitutional office.

Procedurally, the vice president is chosen by proportional representation via single transferable vote, and the winner needs a simple majority of valid votes cast.

If all seats were filled, that majority would be 394; with current vacancies, the effective threshold will reflect the actual number of members voting on the day. Counting is typically completed within hours of balloting.