India to Elect 15th Vice President Today: CP Radhakrishnan vs Sudarshan Reddy in High-Stakes Battle

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): India is all set to elect its 15th Vice President today as voting takes place in Parliament. The contest is between 68-year-old NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan and 79-year-old INDIA bloc nominee B. Sudarshan Reddy.

Voting will be held from 10 AM to 5 PM by 781 Members of Parliament from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Counting of votes will begin at 6 PM, and the results will be declared soon after. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to cast the first vote.

Several regional parties have decided to stay away from the election. Telangana’s BRS (4 MPs) and Odisha’s BJD (7 MPs) have chosen neutrality, while the Shiromani Akali Dal announced it will abstain due to Punjab’s flood crisis. On the other hand, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has pledged support to opposition candidate Reddy, while YSRCP’s 11 MPs have declared backing for NDA’s Radhakrishnan.

The election comes after outgoing Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on July 21 citing health reasons, nearly three years before the end of his term, which was due to last till August 10, 2027.

If MPs vote strictly along party lines, projections suggest Radhakrishnan could secure 422 votes, while Reddy may get around 319 votes—making the NDA candidate’s victory almost certain. However, with secret ballots in play, chances of cross-voting cannot be ruled out.