The political ground for India’s next vice-presidential election has taken a definite form, with the Opposition, who are consolidated under the INDIA block, formally announcing their candidate in the form of former Supreme Court judge Sudarshan Reddy. Reddy will face off against the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate, CP Radhakrishnan, in what is expected to be closely fought for the country’s second-highest constitutional position.

Congress Chief Kharge Makes Official Announcement

The Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge formally announced Sudarshan Reddy’s selection on Tuesday. This comes after the ruling NDA had in the previous week nominated 67-year-old CP Radhakrishnan as their Vice-Presidential nominee. Radhakrishnan, a veteran BJP leader, is currently the Governor of Maharashtra and is from Tamil Nadu.

Even though the BJP-led NDA has a comfortable majority in the electoral college that includes Members of Parliament from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the decision of the INDIA bloc to put up a candidate is an indication that they are planning to take the contest to the people rather than leave it an uncontested affair. The win of Radhakrishnan seems sure with the NDA’s numbers game, but the Opposition’s move guarantees a democratic fight for the Vice-Presidential seat. The election will take place on September 9, 2025.