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The final vote count in the V-P polls revealed that the results exceeded the NDA’s expected tally, suggesting a major political win beyond mere numbers
Lawmakers from parties including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, DMK, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) are believed to have broken party lines. File image
NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan’s victory in the vice-presidential election has exposed significant cracks in the unity of India’s opposition parties. While the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was expected to win given its parliamentary majority, the final vote count revealed that the results exceeded its expected tally, suggesting a major political win beyond mere numbers.
According to NDA sources, at least 15 Members of Parliament from the opposition camp are suspected of having cross-voted for Radhakrishnan. Lawmakers from parties including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, DMK, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) are believed to have broken party lines. The voting breakdown indicates that AAP may have seen five cross-voters, Shiv Sena (UBT) four, Congress two, and one each from the DMK, JMM, RJD, and NCP-SP, said the sources.
In stark contrast to the opposition, which appeared to be a fractured house with no clear strategy, the NDA executed a meticulously planned campaign. The alliance divided its MPs into smaller groups and assigned senior ministers to ensure every vote was cast correctly. A “man-to-man marking” system was implemented to prevent any absences. Union ministers Rammohan Naidu and Shrikant Shinde, along with Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha, were given the key responsibility of serving as polling agents for the NDA candidate. This level of organisation was highlighted by a two-day training session for NDA MPs, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on both days.
The final numbers tell a clear story of the ideological and organisational divide, sources said. While the NDA secured a comfortable victory with 452 votes against the opposition’s Dr B Sudershan Reddy, who received 300, the NDA’s vote count fell slightly short of its expected tally of 460, despite the YSR Congress Party’s declared support. This deficit was likely due to the ten invalid votes cast, with sources suggesting that seven of these followed a similar pattern of human error, such as using a tick mark instead of the prescribed numerical method. The INDIA Bloc, with an expected strength of 315 MPs, managed to deliver only 300 votes, further confirming the opposition’s disunity in the secret ballot election.
September 10, 2025, 19:04 IST
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