Parties Abstain from Vice-Presidential Election: NDA’s Candidate Poised for Win
In a quiet twist to India’s Vice-Presidential election, three regional parties have chosen to sit out the voting. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) from Odisha, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) from Punjab, and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) from Telangana won’t back any side. This move won’t shake up the poll numbers much, as the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, C.P. Radhakrishnan, looks set for an easy victory against the opposition’s pick, B. Sudershan Reddy.
Let’s break down what each party said and why they’re staying away. First up, the BJD, led by Naveen Patnaik, announced on Monday that it’ll abstain from the Vice-Presidential election. The party wants to keep its "equidistant" policy – staying neutral between the BJP and Congress. Senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sasmit Patra shared the news after a key party meeting. "We’re focusing on Odisha’s 4.5 crore people and their development," he said. Remember, BJD didn’t win any seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but holds seven spots in the Rajya Sabha.
Next, the BRS in Telangana also decided to skip the vote. Working President K.T. Rama Rao made the call on Monday, pointing to farmers’ issues like the urea shortage hitting the state hard. BRS has four Rajya Sabha members but no Lok Sabha representation right now.
Then, in the evening, Punjab’s SAD joined the list. The party cited the devastating floods in Punjab as the main reason for abstaining. SAD has just one MP – Harsimrat Kaur, wife of party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal – who won from Bathinda in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
This sets up a straight fight between NDA’s Radhakrishnan and opposition’s Reddy in the Vice-Presidential election. The electoral college includes 781 members: 542 elected Lok Sabha MPs and 239 Rajya Sabha members (that’s 233 elected plus 12 nominated, with six vacancies in total). Every vote counts equally, and it’s all done via secret ballot, just like standard parliamentary rules. To win, a candidate needs at least 391 votes.
The Vice-President’s seat opened up after Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down on July 21 due to health reasons, right at the start of Parliament’s monsoon session. Experts predict a close watch on the contest, even though NDA holds the edge with its strong numbers in both houses. But keep an eye out for any surprise cross-voting – results could roll in this evening!
This Vice-Presidential election update shows how regional parties like BJD, SAD, and BRS are navigating national politics amid local challenges. Stay tuned for more on India’s political scene.
