Vice Presidential Election Underway in India

Strategic Insights -

The Vice Presidential election in India is currently underway at the new Parliament building in New Delhi. The voting process is a secret ballot system, where each member of the electoral college can cast their vote according to their individual preference, unbound by their party's whip. The election is between the NDA nominee, Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, and the INDIA bloc's nominee, former Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Vice President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members from both Houses of Parliament, totaling 781 members.
  • The Lok Sabha has 542 members, and the Rajya Sabha has 239 members, making a total electorate of 781.
  • The majority mark required to win the election is 391 votes.
  • The voting process will continue until 5 in the evening, with counting of votes to begin after 6:00 PM.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to cast his vote, followed by Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Jitendra Singh, Pralhad Joshi, and several other Members of Parliament.
  • JD (S) MP and Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and Congress MP Gaurav Gagoi have also cast their votes.

Statistics:

  • Total members of the electoral college: 781
  • Lok Sabha members: 542
  • Rajya Sabha members: 239
  • Electorate size: 781
  • Majority mark required to win: 391
  • Voting hours: until 5 in the evening
  • Counting of votes: begins after 6:00 PM

Sources:

  • The Indian Awaaz
  • The Indian Parliament