The political landscape is heating up as the Vice Presidential election draws near. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate for the upcoming election, which is scheduled for September 9, 2025. The announcement was made by BJP National President JP Nadda after the party's Parliamentary Board meeting in Delhi.
Radhakrishnan's nomination comes after Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation from the Vice Presidential post on July 21, citing health reasons. The Election Commission has set the last date for filing nominations as August 21 and the deadline for withdrawal of nominations as August 25.
Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan is a veteran BJP leader with a strong background in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He assumed the role of the 24th Governor of Maharashtra on July 31, 2024. Prior to this, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand from February 2023 to July 2024 and also held additional charge as the Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry between March and July 2024. Radhakrishnan has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore twice and has also served as the Tamil Nadu BJP State President.
The Vice President is elected by an electoral college comprising members of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Nominated members are also eligible to vote, and the voting is conducted via secret ballot.
As of now, the NDA holds a majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. According to an India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation opinion poll conducted between January 2 and February 9, 2025, the BJP-led NDA is projected to win 343 seats if Lok Sabha elections were held today, while the INDIA bloc would secure 188 seats. The BJP alone is expected to cross the halfway mark with 281 seats.
In the 2024 general election, the NDA secured 293 seats. Within the NDA, the BJP has a dominant share. Of the NDA's Members of Parliament, a significant percentage comes directly from the BJP. This reliance on its largest constituent distinguishes the NDA from the INDIA bloc, where the Congress party has struggled to perform as strongly.
Given the current composition of the Parliament, the NDA seems to have a clear advantage in the Vice Presidential election. However, political dynamics can shift, and the INDIA bloc will likely put up a strong contest.
The election will be an important indicator of the political climate and the strategies of the competing alliances as they look towards future elections.
