The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday named Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan as its choice for the upcoming Vice-Presidential election. The decision was taken at the BJP parliamentary board meeting held at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president J P Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among the leaders present at the deliberations.
NDA Seeks Uncontested Vice-Presidential Election
Announcing the decision, BJP chief J P Nadda said, “Maharashtra governor C P Radhakrishnan is vice presidential candidate of ruling National Democratic Alliance.” He added that the ruling bloc is making efforts to ensure the election is uncontested. “We want next vice president to be elected unanimously, we have reached out to opposition leaders,” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi: Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan will be the NDA’s candidate for the Vice Presidential election, says BJP national president and Union Minister JP Nadda pic.twitter.com/VzSJVjoF6p
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2025
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also declared support for the NDA nominee, writing on X, “We fully support the NDA candidate for Vice President, C.P. Radhakrishnan. We stand with the NDA from the streets to the Parliament.”
The announcement follows a resolution passed earlier on 6 August, when NDA leaders had authorised Prime Minister Modi and J P Nadda to select the alliance’s candidate.
INDIA Bloc Meeting To Form Consensus For Vice Presidential Candidate
Meanwhile, the Opposition’s INDIA bloc is preparing to field its own candidate. According to The New Indian Express, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is expected to convene a meeting of floor leaders around 18 or 19 August to finalise a common nominee. Sources told the publication that Kharge has been engaged in backchannel discussions with leaders of other parties to push for a consensus name.
At a meeting last week chaired by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, INDIA bloc partners had resolved to contest the poll after a collective decision on a joint candidate. Leaders at the meeting argued that despite NDA’s numerical advantage, the Opposition should enter the fray to send out a strong political message.
Vice President Election Schedule
The Election Commission has already released the timetable for the Vice-Presidential poll. Nominations can be filed until 21 August, with scrutiny set for 22 August. The last date to withdraw candidature is 25 August. If contested, voting will take place on 9 September between 10 AM and 5 PM in Parliament House, with counting scheduled for the same evening.
The election was necessitated by the resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on 21 July. Dhankhar, 74, stepped down citing health issues. In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, posted on his official X account, he wrote, “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice-President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.”
The combined strength of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is 782, with a candidate requiring 391 votes for victory. While the NDA commands the support of 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha and about 130 in the Rajya Sabha, the INDIA bloc has 234 members in the Lower House. In the Rajya Sabha (the upper house), the INDIA bloc has 77 MPs.
All members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including the nominated ones, elect the vice president. The NDA has the numbers on its side with a strength of around 422 members.
