The stage is set for the Vice Presidential election on September 9, 2025, where Members of Parliament will elect the 15th Vice President of India. The election pits the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, C.P. Radhakrishnan, against the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc's nominee, B. Sudershan Reddy. The Vice President is chosen by an electoral college comprised of members from both houses of Parliament through a secret ballot.

NDA's Confident Stance

The BJP-led NDA appears confident, with projections indicating a comfortable majority. On paper, the NDA has the support of 425 MPs. The alliance is also counting on backing from parties like Jagan Reddy's YSR Congress, which has seven Rajya Sabha and four Lok Sabha MPs. Even without support from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the NDA is expected to have 436 votes. This number is well above the 391 votes needed to win. To ensure no votes are lost, the NDA is meticulously tracking every vote. C.P. Radhakrishnan, the NDA candidate, is the current Governor of Maharashtra and a former two-time Lok Sabha member from Tamil Nadu.

INDIA Bloc's Ideological Battle

The INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, has nominated former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy as their candidate. The opposition alliance has a significant number of MPs, thanks to a stronger showing in the recent Lok Sabha election. On paper, the opposition has 324 votes. Despite this, even with 100% turnout and votes for Reddy, the INDIA bloc would still fall short of the winning mark by 100 to 135 votes. The INDIA bloc is framing the election as an ideological battle, urging MPs to vote "thoughtfully, keeping the nation's interest above party interest". The Congress party had planned to host a dinner for opposition MPs but cancelled it due to the flood situation in various parts of the country. However, a mock poll demonstration was held for its MPs.

Numbers and Abstentions

In the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA has the support of 293 members. In the Rajya Sabha, the ruling alliance has 129 members. Together, the combined strength of both houses for the vice-presidential vote is 786, making 394 the victory mark. The NDA, with support from 422 members, comfortably crosses that mark. The BRS and BJD have decided to abstain from the vice presidential elections.

Dhankhar's Resignation

The election was necessitated due to the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar in July 2025, citing health reasons. Dhankhar's resignation, with two years remaining in his term, was unexpected. He is only the third Vice President to resign before completing his term.

The Election Process

The Vice President is elected through a system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote, and the voting is held by secret ballot. Unlike the Presidential election, only members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha vote in the Vice Presidential election. The Lok Sabha has 542 members, and the Rajya Sabha has 239 members. The electorate for this election is 781, with the majority mark at 391.