The stage is set for the Vice Presidential election in India, with polling scheduled to take place today in the Parliament House. The election pits the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, C. P. Radhakrishnan, against the opposition INDIA bloc's nominee, B. Sudershan Reddy. The election was necessitated by the sudden resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21.

The Candidates

The NDA has nominated C. P. Radhakrishnan, the current Governor of Maharashtra and a former Lok Sabha MP. Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader with roots in the RSS, is known for his non-controversial image. He has previously served as the Tamil Nadu BJP president and was elected twice to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore.

The opposition INDIA bloc has nominated B. Sudershan Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge. Justice Reddy retired in 2011 after a five-year tenure in the Supreme Court. Born in Telangana, he studied law at Osmania University and began his practice in Hyderabad.

Electoral College and Numbers

The Vice President is elected by an electoral college consisting of all members of both Houses of Parliament. This includes 239 members from Rajya Sabha and 542 members from Lok Sabha. With a total of 781 MPs in the electoral college, the majority mark is at 391.

The NDA appears to have a clear advantage in terms of numbers, with approximately 425 MPs. The BJP alone accounts for 342 members in both Houses. The opposition camp has around 324 MPs, with the Congress party holding 126 members.

Political Dynamics

Several political parties have announced their decisions regarding the election. The YSRCP has declared its support for the NDA candidate, C. P. Radhakrishnan. However, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has announced that it will abstain from the vice-presidential poll due to the floods in Punjab. Similarly, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have also decided to abstain from voting. These parties have stated that they remain equidistant from both the NDA and INDIA alliances.

Voting Process

The polling will be held in the new Parliament building from 10 AM to 5 PM. Members of Parliament will cast their votes through a secret ballot. To indicate their preference, MPs must write the numeral '1' opposite the name of their chosen candidate, using numerals, Roman numerals, or any Indian language (but not words). The counting of votes will commence at 6 PM, and the results are expected to be announced later in the evening. Mock polls were conducted to familiarize the parliamentarians with the voting procedure and minimize the risk of invalid votes.

NDA's Edge

Given the numerical strength of the NDA in Parliament, C. P. Radhakrishnan is considered to have a clear edge in the election. However, the opposition is hoping to put up a strong contest. The election is being closely watched, especially after the unexpected resignation of the previous Vice President. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be among the first to cast his vote.