Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday expressed full confidence that NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan will secure the Vice-Presidential post with a “thumping majority,” citing discontent within the Congress over their candidate B Sudershan Reddy.
Speaking to reporters, Joshi said, “If Congress is making an honest call to choose wisely, then their candidate will lose with bigger numbers. There is grave discontent within the Congress party over their candidate…We are very confident that we will win with a thumping majority.”
JDU MP Lovely Anand echoed similar sentiments, calling Radhakrishnan the best candidate for the post and asserting that the NDA is united in its support. BJP MP Kiran Choudhry also praised Radhakrishnan’s capabilities, stating that his election will honour the Vice President’s office.
Voting for the 15th Vice Presidential election began Tuesday morning, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being the first to cast his vote. The high-stakes contest is between NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan and joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy, with counting scheduled for the evening.
NDA appears to hold an edge, with Radhakrishnan projected to secure 427 votes—well above the majority mark of 391—including 293 in the Lok Sabha and 134 in the Rajya Sabha. The opposition candidate, Reddy, is supported by 354 MPs, with 249 in the lower house and 105 in the upper house.
Currently, Parliament has 781 members, including 542 in the Lok Sabha (one seat vacant) and 239 in the Rajya Sabha (five seats vacant). Several parties, including BJD, BRS, and SAD, have decided to abstain or boycott the poll.
