After casting his vote in the 15th Vice Presidential election on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to assess the situation caused by floods and landslides in the two states.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, “Leaving for Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to review the situation in the wake of floods and landslides. The Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with those affected in this tragic hour.”
Himachal Pradesh has witnessed multiple landslides and cloudbursts, severely affecting life and infrastructure, while Punjab is grappling with heavy flooding caused by monsoon rains.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi exercised his franchise as the first voter in the 15th Vice Presidential election, along with other prominent ministers and MPs. NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan is contesting against joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy. Counting of votes is scheduled for the evening.
The election is being held 50 days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post as the Vice President on July 21, citing health reasons.
Union Minister Suresh Gopi said, “This election is not about choosing between anyone. It is an election aimed at selecting fairness, truthfulness, and effectiveness, which are most needed for the citizens of the country, whether they live inside or outside the country… As a person, I found CP Radhakrishnan to be the best worker or one of the best among thousands of workers in my ideological system.”
Both the BJP-led NDA and opposition parties held mock polls ahead of the crucial day earlier, telling the MPs to be cautious in exercising their franchise lest their vote be invalid.
It seems that NDA’s candidate CP Radhakrishnan has an edge with 427 MPs, well above the majority mark of 391, supporting him for the post. In the Lok Sabha, Radhakrishnan is expected to receive 293 votes, and 134 votes are likely to be cast in his favour in the Rajya Sabha.
Joint opposition candidate Reddy is backed by 354 MPs, with 249 in the lower house and 105 in the upper house of the Parliament.
Currently, the Parliament comprises 781 members, including 542 in the Lok Sabha with one seat vacant and 239 in the Rajya Sabha with five seats vacant.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has decided to abstain from voting in the Vice Presidential elections, while the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced a “boycott”, citing public “upset and anger” in Punjab over no help from the central or state government for the ongoing flood crisis. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) also announced that it will not take part in the voting.