Radhakrishnan vs Sudershan Reddy: India to elect next Vice President today
Vice Presidential Elections 2025 Today: Who Will Win The Election: The 17th election for the 15th Vice President of India will be held today, September 9. Voting will take place on that day, and the result is expected by evening. NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate is CP Radhakrishnan, while P Sudarshan Reddy is in the fray from the opposition’s India Alliance. For information, let us tell you that Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned from the post of Vice President on July 21, citing his health conditions, after which the post became vacant and now its election is being held.
Why is the Election Being Held Now?
- Jagdeep Dhankhar, the 14th Vice President, resigned on July 21 citing health issues. As the post became vacant, the 17th election (for the 15th Vice President) is being held on September 9, 2025.
Now the most important thing is to know how the Vice President election is held in India, and who casts the vote? And if a member of a party votes for the candidate of the opposition party, can any action be taken against him? Let us know what happens from the election to the results, and after that?
How and where will the voting take place?
As we have already told you that in this Vice Presidential election, there are two candidates from both the ruling party and the opposition, and Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Modi has been made the Returning Officer for the voting. Voting for the Vice Presidential election will be held in Room No. F-101, Vasudha of Parliament House on Tuesday from 10 am to 5 pm, and one hour after the voting ends, i.e., at 6 pm, the counting of votes will start, and then the winning candidate will be announced.
Who can vote?
In the election for the post of Vice President, members of both the houses of Parliament – Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha will vote, and along with this, nominated members of Rajya Sabha can also vote. This time, the electoral college for the election for the post of Vice President consists of 233 elected members of the Rajya Sabha (six seats are vacant at present), 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, and 543 elected members of the Lok Sabha (one seat is vacant at present). There are a total of 788 members in the electoral college (currently 781).
What is the voting process?
Talking about the voting process for the post of Vice President, voting for it is done secretly through the Single Transferable Vote System (STVS). The ballot papers issued for voting are white in colour, which have two columns, in one of which the names of the candidates are written in Hindi and English, and in the other column, there is a blank space for voting. In the blank space, voters have to enter their preferences as 1,2… It depends on the voter whether they enter it in Hindi or English.
Now, know the method of voting.
The members of the electoral college have to be present in person and cast their vote in secret, and no one’s help can be taken while casting the vote. If any MP is in preventive detention, only then can he cast his vote by post. For example, in this time’s Vice Presidential election, Sheikh Abdul Rashid (Baramulla) and Amritpal Singh (Khadur Sahib) can vote for a postal ballot because both these members are in jail.
Date, Time & Place of Voting
- Date: September 9, 2025 (Tuesday)
- Time: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Place: Room No. F-101, Vasudha Hall, Parliament House
- Counting Begins: At 6:00 PM (Same day)
- Result Declaration: Same evening
Who Votes in the Vice President Election?
Electoral College:
- Members of both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha)
- Nominated members of Rajya Sabha can also vote
- State legislatures are NOT involved
Current Composition:
- Lok Sabha: 543 members (1 vacant) → 542
- Rajya Sabha: 233 elected (6 vacant) + 12 nominated → 239
- Total Voters: 781 MPs (out of 788 possible)
Voting Process: How It Works
Voting System:
- Secret Ballot
- Single Transferable Vote System (STV)
- Ballot Paper:
- White in color
- Two columns: Names in Hindi & English | Blank space to mark preference (1, 2, etc.)
- MPs write preferences in either Hindi or English
Postal Ballot:
- Allowed only if the MP is in preventive detention
- Example: Sheikh Abdul Rashid & Amritpal Singh (currently in jail) may vote via post
Vote Counting & Result
How is the Winner Decided?
- First preference votes are counted first.
- A candidate needs more than 50% of valid votes to win.
- If no majority:
- The candidate with the least votes is eliminated.
- Their votes are transferred based on next preference.
- Process continues until someone gets a majority.
Party Whip, Anti-Defection & Voting Freedom
- There is no party symbol in this election.
- No whip can be issued by political parties.
- Anti-defection law does not apply.
- MPs can vote for any candidate, even across party lines.
- No action can be taken against MPs who cross-vote.
Security Deposit & Legal Challenge
- Security Deposit: ₹15,000
- Forfeited if a candidate gets less than 1/6th of valid votes
- Result Challenge:
- Can be contested in the Supreme Court
- Must be filed within 30 days
- Can be filed by a candidate or 10 or more MPs
Perks & Facilities of the Vice President
While in Office:
- Salary: ₹4 lakh/month (as Rajya Sabha Chairperson)
- Official Residence
- Medical facilities (for self & family)
- Travel & Daily Allowance
- 24/7 security
- Private secretary and administrative staff
After Retirement:
- Pension: ₹2 lakh/month (50% of salary)
- Type-8 bungalow
- Staff: Private secretary, additional secretary, personal assistant
- Medical team: 1 doctor, 1 nurse, 4 attendants
- Spouse of deceased VP gets Type-7 residence for life
Candidates in the 2025 Vice Presidential Election
- CP Radhakrishnan – NDA candidate
- P Sudarshan Reddy – INDIA Alliance candidate
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