New Delhi, September 7, 2025:
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has commenced a crucial two-day workshop for its Members of Parliament at the Parliament complex in Delhi as the Vice Presidential election approaches on September 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is actively participating in the workshop and is being felicitated for his government's recent GST slab reforms which are expected to reduce tax burden and boost the economy.
The workshop, spread over four focused sessions, aims to enhance MPs' legislative skills, governance knowledge, and efficiency ahead of the important vice-presidential polls. Special emphasis is being placed on training MPs on the correct procedures for secret ballot voting—how to mark, fold, and cast the ballot paper—to ensure no votes are invalidated. This is particularly important as a party whip does not apply in this secret ballot election; hence, the NDA is keen to prevent cross-voting and maximize valid votes.
Originally, a dinner was planned for September 8 by PM Modi to host NDA MPs, but this has been cancelled in solidarity with flood-affected areas in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, and Gujarat. PM Modi is scheduled to visit these flood-hit states and conduct review meetings.
The NDA coalition has fielded Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan as its vice-presidential candidate, who will face the INDIA bloc candidate, retired Supreme Court Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy from Andhra Pradesh. NDA currently holds a numerical majority with 422 supportive members in Parliament, considering 293 MPs in Lok Sabha and 129 in Rajya Sabha along with allies, surpassing the 391 votes needed for a majority.
The workshop also revisits BJP's history and development trajectory while focusing on the strategy to ensure 100% voting from the NDA MPs. The election will see voting and counting take place on the same day, September 9.
For additional support, NDA has secured backing from 11 MPs of Andhra Pradesh's YSR Congress and is in talks with other regional parties like Odisha’s BJD and Telangana’s BRS. The opposition INDIA bloc is also actively canvassing support, appealing on the basis of regional representation.
This election is underway following the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in July 2025 due to health concerns, whose tenure was originally due to end in August 2027.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
