CP Radhakrishnan Vs Sudarshan Reddy For Vice-President: Does Opposition Pick Stand A Chance?

Last Updated:August 19, 2025, 14:38 IST

In the Vice-Presidential election, BJP-led NDA's CP Radhakrishnan faces INDIA bloc's Sudarshan Reddy. NDA's 422 MPs give Radhakrishnan a likely win over the opposition's 300 MPs.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced Reddy as the opposition Vice President candidate and informed that he will file his nomination on August 21 for the September 9 election. (Photos: X)

The stage is set for the Vice-Presidential election in which the ruling BJP-led NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan will face the INDIA bloc’s Sudarshan Reddy.

The government’s efforts to take the opposition on board for a unanimous VP election have failed, with the INDIA bloc fielding Reddy, described as one of “India’s most distinguished and progressive jurists."

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced former Supreme Court judge Reddy as the opposition Vice President candidate and informed that he will file his nomination on August 21 for the September 9 election.

Here’s How Numbers Stack Up For VP Polls

Members of Parliament from both Houses — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — comprise the electoral college for the Vice-Presidential elections. Unlike the Presidential election, MLAs have no role in the Vice-President polls.

At present, the strength of Parliament stands at 787, including both Houses. A candidate requires at least 394 votes to be elected as the next Vice President of India.

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The current situation favours Radhakrishnan, as the BJP-led NDA has 422 MPs, including nominated members who are likely to support the NDA nominee. The NDA’s tally includes 293 MPs in the 542-member Lok Sabha and 129 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, where the effective strength of the House is currently 245.

For the opposition, the polls remain a symbolic contest, as in the Vice-President elections of 2017 and 2022, since they lack the numbers.

TMC MP Derek O’Brien said all opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are on board for Reddy’s candidature.

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The INDIA bloc’s current strength stands at around 300. The bloc includes the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), ist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), AAP and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

The INDIA bloc is also planning to reach out to Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party, which has 7 Rajya Sabha MPs and 5 Lok Sabha members. Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which has 7 Rajya Sabha MPs and has supported the BJP in Parliament in the past, is yet to choose who it will support. However, even if the opposition manages to convince both Jagan Reddy and Naveen Patnaik, the gap remains too wide to bridge.

So, Radhakrishnan’s election as the next Vice President of India looks almost certain, unless an unexpected scenario emerges in which some BJP allies shift towards the INDIA bloc — a highly unlikely possibility.

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Two Southern Faces In VP Polls

Two faces from South Indian are facing each other, putting regional parties in a tough spot.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has welcomed two-time Coimbatore MP Radhakrishnan’s candidature as the NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate. However, he is yet to react to Sudarshan Reddy, who hails from Andhra Pradesh.

On the other hand, DMK called the election an ideological fight, saying even if the BJP picked a candidate from Tamil Nadu, it doesn’t mean the ruling party at the centre cares about Tamil Nadu.

“This is an ideological fight. So the Opposition parties came together to select one candidate against the candidate who comes from an RSS background. The candidate (Sudarshan Reddy) the Opposition has selected is the one who respects the Constitution…Just because you (BJP) have a candidate from Tamil Nadu, doesn’t mean you care about Tamil Nadu, Tamil language or values of the state," said DMK MP Kanimozhi.

News politics CP Radhakrishnan Vs Sudarshan Reddy For Vice-President: Does Opposition Pick Stand A Chance?

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