Tomorrow, the votes will be cast for the Vice President election from 10 AM to 5 PM, with results being declared by evening. Vote counting will commence at 6 PM.
NDA has nominated Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, while the INDIA Block has fielded former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy. Members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will participate in this secret ballot, which means they are free to vote as they wish, though typically along party lines.
Cross-voting has been witnessed in past elections, and this time might be no different. With 238 members in Rajya Sabha and 542 in Lok Sabha, the magic number for a win is 391. NDA is confident with 425 members, besides expecting support from other parties.
YSRCP has pledged support to NDA, adding its seven Rajya Sabha and four Lok Sabha members to the count, leading to 436 backing NDA. It's expected that Swati Maliwal of the Aam Aadmi Party might also support NDA, while BJD's decision is pending. BRS is likely to abstain from voting, as they maintain strategic political neutrality ahead of impending regional elections with a significant Muslim voter base.
The BRS has four Rajya Sabha members, and BJD seven. With three out of seven Lok Sabha Independents still undecided, and unclear positions from Akali Dal, JPMP, and VOTTP’s single members, the opposition commands 324 votes, forecasting a victory margin between 100 and 125 votes.
In the previous 2022 election, Jagdeep Dhankhar defeated the opposition’s Margaret Alva by 346 votes, but such a significant lead is not anticipated this time, as the opposition is comparatively fortified. NDA sources suggest that there will be over 150 votes against the opposition's candidate in the Rajya Sabha and they will secure less than 90 votes overall.
NDA and the INDIA Block are training their MPs meticulously, ensuring no invalid votes. The expectation is a well-fought yet closely-watched electoral contest for the Vice President's chair.
