CP Radhakrishnan Vs B Sudershan Reddy: How India Elects Its Vice President, Know The Complete Process

Voting to elect India's next Vice President is underway today, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On one side, the NDA has nominated CP Radhakrishnan, Governor of Maharashtra. On the other, the Opposition's INDIA bloc has chosen retired Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy - the first former judge of the top court ever to contest for this post.

So, how does the Vice President get elected?

The Vice President is the second-highest constitutional authority in the country. More importantly, they serve as the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, making them a key figure in the functioning of Parliament.

Unlike the President's election, state assemblies have no role here. The Vice President is chosen only by Members of Parliament from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The system used is called proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (STV), with MPs voting in secret. In simple terms, each MP ranks the candidates in order of preference. If no one wins outright in the first count, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated and their votes are transferred according to the next preference. This continues until one candidate crosses the winning mark.

To contest, a candidate must be at least 35 years old, a citizen of India, and eligible for the Rajya Sabha. They also need the support of at least 20 MPs to propose their name and 20 more to second it.

The Vice President serves a five-year term, and can be re-elected.