Vice Presidential Election: Number game vs. voice of conscience, whose strategy will succeed?
The contest for the Vice Presidential election is at an interesting turn. On one hand, the NDA has fielded senior leader from Tamil Nadu and former Governor of Maharashtra CP Radhakrishnan, while on the other hand, the opposition alliance 'India Block' has fielded former Justice B Sudarshan Reddy from Telangana. The ruling party is confident of its strong number game, while the opposition is hoping to overturn the result with the help of 'voice of conscience'.
Voting on 9 Sept
Voting for the post of Vice President is to be held on Tuesday 9 September. Members of both the houses of Parliament - Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - vote in this election. In this sense, the votes of a total of 781 MPs will matter and 392 votes will be required for victory.
NDA has the support of 425 MPs
The NDA has the support of 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 132 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. That is, a total of 425 MPs are seen with Radhakrishnan. Opposition candidate Sudarshan Reddy is expected to get the support of 324 MPs. This is the reason why the ruling party is clearly seen to have an edge.
But the opposition has tried to prevent the election from becoming a game of numbers only. Describing it as a fight for 'constitutional values' and 'protection of democracy', it has appealed to the MPs to vote on the 'voice of conscience'.
Opposition's bet - Voice of conscience
B Sudarshan Reddy has said that the whip does not apply in the Vice Presidential election, so the MPs can vote according to their conscience. This is the strategy on which the opposition alliance India Block has pinned its hopes. The opposition leaders believe that even though they are behind numerically, cross voting in the secret ballot can go in their favor.
Congress leader Manikam Tagore even said that the tension between TDP and YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh politics can affect this election. According to him, some MPs may hesitate to vote for the BJP candidate and may support Sudarshan Reddy.
Reliance on number game - NDA's strategy
On the other hand, the NDA is completely confident about this election. For them, this contest is not just about victory but also about the margin of victory. Last time in 2022, NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar got 528 votes. This time the number seems to be a little less.
This is the reason why the BJP leadership is busy placating the opposition parties. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders have contacted BJD, BRS and many small parties. Also, BJP organized a two-day workshop for its MPs, in which they were briefed on the process of voting and the technical aspects of secret ballot.
Eyes on small parties
The role of small parties is crucial in this election. 7 MPs of BJD and 4 MPs of BRS have not yet made their stand clear. The stand of Akali Dal, ZPM, VOTPP and independent MPs also remain unclear. BJD has allowed its MPs to vote on the 'voice of conscience' on several occasions in the past. In such a situation, it remains to be seen what stand Naveen Patnaik takes this time. Similarly, the support of BRS is also uncertain. Congress has not shown any special activity in contacting BRS, but Sudarshan Reddy is trying to get support by citing Telugu identity.
Opposition's unity and symbolic message
The opposition has tried to make this election more symbolic than just numbers. By putting forward a non-political and judiciary-related face like Sudarshan Reddy, the opposition has raised the issue of protecting democracy and the Constitution.
Leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi and Chandrashekhar Azad have also come out in his support. Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, RJD, SP, AAP and leftist parties are already standing with him.
Another interesting aspect is that this time both the candidates are from South India. On one side Radhakrishnan from Tamil Nadu, on the other Reddy is from Telangana. This is being considered a sign of increasing importance in the politics of the South.
Final contest
NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan is clearly leading, but the strategy of the opposition is making the election interesting. The suspense increases even more due to secret voting. Whether the MPs will actually vote as per their conscience or the numbers game will prevail will become clear on Tuesday.