INDIA Bloc to Decide Vice Presidential Candidate Amid NDA’s Strong Numbers

New Delhi, Aug 2025 : The Opposition’s INDIA Bloc will meet on Monday evening to finalize its candidate for the upcoming vice presidential election. The meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the residence of Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, is expected to be attended by leaders from key alliance partners, including the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Shiv Sena (UBT).

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal confirmed earlier in the day that the bloc would announce its candidate after consultations with all alliance members. “The Congress alone will not take a decision. We are meeting all our partners, and then our decision will come. The DMK has already made its position clear. By Monday evening, everything will be final,” Venugopal told reporters.

The meeting comes a day after the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) declared Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan as its nominee for the vice presidential election, scheduled for September 9. The election was necessitated by the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, who stepped down citing health concerns.

Despite the INDIA Bloc’s upcoming announcement, the electoral arithmetic appears to heavily favor the NDA. The Vice President of India is elected by an Electoral College comprising 786 members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. A simple majority of 394 votes is required to secure victory.

Currently, the NDA enjoys a comfortable advantage with 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 129 in the Rajya Sabha. Along with support from nominated members, the alliance commands around 422 votes—well above the majority threshold.

In contrast, the INDIA Bloc controls roughly 300 MPs across both Houses. While the Opposition hopes to present a united front, the gap between the two sides suggests the contest will be an uphill battle.

Although the INDIA Bloc’s eventual candidate is expected to symbolize opposition unity, the outcome of the election remains tilted in favor of the NDA, given its numerical strength in Parliament.