Delhi: Three political parties, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of Odisha, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of Punjab, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of Telangana, have announced that they will abstain from the Vice-Presidential election. The parties have chosen not to align with any group for the poll.

Analysts say that their decision is unlikely to affect the arithmetic of the election, with the nominee of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), CP Radhakrishnan, poised for a comfortable victory.

Why did the BJD abstain?

The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD on Monday decided to abstain from voting, citing its long-standing policy of maintaining an “equidistant” stance from both the BJP and the Congress party.

The decision was finalised during a meeting of the party's political affairs committee. Senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Dr Sasmit Patra explained:

“The party has decided to abstain from the vice-presidential election...The BJD remains equidistant from both the NDA and the INDI Alliance. Our focus is solely on the development and welfare of Odisha’s 4.5 crore people.”

The BJD, which failed to win any seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, currently has seven Rajya Sabha MPs.

Why did the BRS abstain?

The BRS also announced on Monday that it would abstain from the election. The decision was communicated by the party's working president, KT Rama Rao, who said the move was driven by farmers' grievances, particularly the shortage of urea in Telangana. The BRS has four Rajya Sabha members and no representation in the Lok Sabha.

Why did the SAD abstain?

The SAD declared on Monday evening that it too would stay away from the election, citing the flood disaster in Punjab as the reason. The party has only one MP, Harsimrat Kaur, wife of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who won from Bathinda in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Who are the main contenders?

With these three parties staying out, the election is now set for a direct contest between the NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan and the Opposition’s B Sudershan Reddy.

The electoral college for the Vice-Presidential election consists of 781 members, including 542 elected Lok Sabha members and 239 Rajya Sabha members (233 elected and 12 nominated, with six vacancies across both Houses). All votes carry equal value and are cast through a secret ballot. The majority mark required to win is 391 votes.

The Vice-President’s post became vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on 21 July, citing health concerns, on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.

Political observers expect a closely watched contest, though the NDA is considered to hold a numerical advantage in the combined strength of both Houses. Despite this, attention remains on potential cross-voting and the outcome, which is awaited this evening.

IANS inputs