With the vice-presidential election scheduled for September 9, the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies have expressed confidence that their candidate, Justice Sudarshan Reddy, will give a strong fight to the NDA nominee and Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, despite the numbers favoring the ruling coalition.
The electoral college for the vice president consists of 782 members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, taking into account existing vacancies. By current strength, the NDA has 426 MPs, while the INDIA bloc holds 339.
Congress leaders admitted that the arithmetic favors the NDA but described the contest as an “ideological battle.”
They said Justice Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge, represents a stronger moral choice and has written personal letters to MPs seeking their support. He also released a video appeal, calling the election a vote for the “soul and democracy of the country.”
Congress has scheduled a meeting of all its MPs on September 8, including a mock drill on voting procedures to avoid invalid ballots.
“As there is no party whip, we are banking on MPs voting by conscience,” Congress whip Mohammad Jawed said.
INDIA bloc managers have reached out to regional parties, including BRS, YSRCP, TDP, and BJD. While AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has publicly backed Justice Reddy, parties like YSRCP, TDP, and AIADMK are expected to support the NDA nominee. The BJD has yet to announce its stance, with its MPs scheduled to meet on September 8 under the guidance of party chief Navin Patnaik.
Congress leaders also rejected attempts to link Justice Reddy with past controversies.
“He has always stood by the Constitution, including in cases like Salwa Judum,” said Congress Rajya Sabha deputy leader Pramod Tewari.
The INDIA bloc is hoping that cross-voting or abstentions might narrow the gap, but political observers note that the NDA still holds a clear advantage.
