PM casts vote as voting to elect 15th Vice President of India gets underway

New Delhi [India], September 9 (HBTV): Voting for the 15th Vice Presidential election began on Tuesday morning, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting his vote along with other ministers and Members of Parliament.

NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan and joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy, a retired Supreme Court judge, are contesting in what is being seen as a high-stakes battle. The counting of votes is scheduled for Tuesday evening. Prime Minister Modi was the first to exercise his franchise.

The election comes 50 days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the Vice President’s post on July 21, citing health reasons.

Union Minister Suresh Gopi said, ‘This election is not about choosing between anyone. It is an election aimed at selecting fairness, truthfulness, and effectiveness, which are most needed for the citizens of the country, whether they live inside or outside the country... As a person, I found CP Radhakrishnan to be the best worker or one of the best among thousands of workers in my ideological system.’

Both the BJP-led NDA and opposition parties held mock polls in advance, instructing MPs to be cautious in casting their votes to avoid invalid ballots.

Radhakrishnan appears to have an edge with support from 427 MPs, above the majority mark of 391. In the Lok Sabha, he is expected to secure 293 votes, while 134 are likely in his favour in the Rajya Sabha. Reddy, backed by 354 MPs, is expected to get 249 votes in the lower house and 105 in the upper house.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav commented, ‘Numbers are fine but this voting is done on the basis of one’s conscience. The entire country knows that the BJP is a use-and-throw party. The same thing happened with the Vice President, who is missing... The numbers will be in our favour.’

Currently, Parliament comprises 781 members—542 in the Lok Sabha with one seat vacant, and 239 in the Rajya Sabha with five seats vacant.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has decided to abstain from voting, while the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) will not take part in the election. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also announced it would boycott the poll, citing public discontent in Punjab over a lack of assistance from both central and state governments.

(ANI)