VP election kicks off; PM Modi casts first vote

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his vote for the Vice-Presidential election at the New Parliament Building in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Soon after casting the vote, PM Modi posted on the social media platform X: "Voted in the 2025 Vice President election."

Other parliamentarians of the NDA and the INDIA bloc were also casting their votes.

The election will witness the contest between the NDA nominee, Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, and the INDIA bloc candidate, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy.

All parliamentarians were given the same kind of pen to cast their votes for privacy.

Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, currently serving as a Rajya Sabha member, also arrived in a wheelchair to cast his vote.

Counting of votes will be held later in the day, after which the results will be announced.

This election holds significant political weight, as the Vice President also serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, making the role crucial in the functioning of Parliament.

Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, along with Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, have been appointed as official election agents for the process.

The electoral college for the Vice Presidential election comprises 781 members, including 542 elected members of the Lok Sabha and 239 members of the Rajya Sabha (233 elected and 12 nominated, with six vacancies across both Houses).

All votes carry equal value, and voting is conducted through a secret ballot, as per established parliamentary procedure. The majority mark needed to win is 391 votes.

The Vice President's post fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on July 21, citing health concerns, on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.

Political observers expect a keenly watched contest, though the NDA is seen as having a numerical advantage in the combined strength of the two Houses.

However, all eyes remain on potential cross-voting and the outcome this evening.

--IANS

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