Battle for Rajya Sabha chair: Election to choose next vice-president today

The grandeur of New Parliament Building sets the stage for a high-stakes contest — the election to choose India’s next vice-president, the nation’s second-highest constitutional office and the guardian of order in the Rajya Sabha.

The election is being held on Tuesday, 9 September, with voting scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm.

The contest is between NDA nominee and Maharashtra governor C.P. Radhakrishnan and INDIA bloc candidate, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy.

The vice-president also serves as the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, making the outcome crucial for parliamentary functioning.

C.P. Radhakrishnan, who embraced the RSS at just 16, is portrayed as a quiet yet unwavering foot soldier — “low key” in manner but “100 per cent RSS” in spirit.

Across from him stands his rival, a former Supreme Court judge who, even after stepping down in 2011, has kept his presence alive in public life, most recently steering an expert panel in Telangana to scrutinise the state’s ambitious caste survey.

Reddy, with his vast legal acumen and deep command of the Constitution, seems on a finer note far more naturally poised to grace the chair of the Rajya Sabha, bringing with him the weight of wisdom and the polish of experience.

“In his role as chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, the vice-president bears the solemn duty of upholding the loftiest traditions of our parliamentary democracy,” Reddy declared in his statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to cast the first vote, while Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Ram Mohan Naidu, along with Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, have been appointed as election agents. Counting begins at 6 pm, with results likely the same evening.

The electoral college includes 781 members — 542 from the Lok Sabha and 239 from the Rajya Sabha (233 elected and 12 nominated, with six vacancies). Each vote carries equal weight, and the majority mark is 391. Voting is by secret ballot under parliamentary procedure.

The vice-president’s post has been vacant since 21 July, when Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned citing health reasons on the opening day of the monsoon session. His departure created a leadership void in the Upper House, heightening the importance of today’s poll.

While the NDA holds a numerical edge, the contest is being closely watched for possible cross-voting and its impact on the final result.

With IANS inputs