Jammu, Sep 8: Six Members of Parliament (MPs) from Jammu and Kashmir and one MP from Ladakh Union Territory will vote to elect a new Vice President of India tomorrow in the Vice Presidential election, 2025.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate C P Radhakrishnan is pitched against the opposition INDIA bloc candidate P Sudershan Reddy.
The election was necessitated after Jagdeep Dhankhar, in a surprise move, tendered his resignation on July 21, 2025.
On August 7, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notification for the Vice-Presidential Election 2025, under sub-sections (4) and (1) of Section 4 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.
As per the notification, the poll will be taken between 10 am and 5 pm at Room No F-101, Vasudha, First Floor, Parliament House, New Delhi.
The counting will be held on the same day.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members form the electoral college for the election. In the case of J&K, there are five MPs in the Lok Sabha.
Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma are from the BJP, whose vote will go for the NDA candidate. While Mian Altaf and Aga Syed Ruhullah represent the National Conference in the Lok Sabha. NC is part of the INDIA bloc.
The fifth MP from J&K is Engineer Rashid, representing the Baramulla LS constituency as an independent. Suspense remains intact on his choice of candidate, given his past maverick record.
In the case of Jammu and Kashmir, there will be no representation from the elected Rajya Sabha members as their seats remain vacant since February 2021.
Gulam Ali Khatana, the BJP MP, though is from Rajya Sabha, yet he is a nominated member. Nominated members also have voting rights.
Given this equation, both the NDA and the INDIA bloc candidates are sure to get two votes each of the LS MPs. Chances of a third vote remain in the realm of speculation till the voting is over and the votes are counted.
From the neighbouring Union Territory of Ladakh, which has just one MP Haji Hanifa Jan, who contested as an independent. However, it is not difficult to presume that his loyalties still lie with his erstwhile party, the National Conference.
Thus, in any case, if things go as per known affiliations, both the INDIA Bloc and NDA are likely to get an equal number of votes from J&K and Ladakh – three each.
However, Baramulla MP may tilt the balance as he may keep everyone guessing till the end.
