High Voter Turnout in India’s Vice Presidential Election: What’s Happening Today
In a smooth start to one of India’s key political events, a whopping 762 out of 781 parliamentarians have already voted in the Vice Presidential election by 3 PM on Tuesday. That’s an impressive 97.57% turnout so far, showing how seriously MPs are taking this Vice President election.
The voting kicked off at 10 AM in the swanky New Parliament building in New Delhi and will wrap up by 5 PM. It’s a straight contest between the NDA’s pick, Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, and the INDIA Bloc’s candidate, former Supreme Court Judge B. Sudershan Reddy. MPs from both the ruling NDA and opposition INDIA Bloc have been lining up to cast their votes all morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the tone by being the first to vote in this crucial poll. The Election Commission set up special polling booths right inside Parliament House, making it easy for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members to participate. Remember, the electoral college here includes 781 members—542 elected from Lok Sabha and 239 from Rajya Sabha (that’s 233 elected plus 12 nominated, with six vacancies in total). Every vote counts equally, and it’s all done via secret ballot following standard rules. To win, a candidate needs at least 391 votes.
Both sides are fired up. The NDA is super confident about Radhakrishnan’s victory, while the INDIA Bloc is rallying support for Justice Sudershan Reddy, calling it a fight to "save the Constitution." Votes will be counted later today, and we’ll know the winner soon after.
This election comes after the Vice President’s post became vacant when Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down on July 21 due to health issues, right at the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Stay tuned for the results—it’s shaping up to be a big moment for Indian politics!
