Vice-President Elections: BJD, BRS To Abstain From Voting; Opposition Holds Mock Poll

Last Updated:September 08, 2025, 15:50 IST

Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti and Biju Janata Dal to abstain from Vice-President election, citing equidistance from NDA and INDIA bloc.

The choices made by the NDA and the INDI alliance paint a vivid picture of two contrasting visions for the nation. (Photos: X)

Vice-President Elections: With just a day left for the vice-presidential election, two fence-sitters- K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have announced to abstain from voting in the high-stakes polls.

Both parties have asserted that they remain “equidistant" from both the NDA and the INDIA bloc, news agency PTI reported.

BRS working president K T Rama Rao on Monday said that the decision to skip the Vice-Presidential election is an expression of “anguish" of Telangana’s farmers over the shortage of urea in the state.

He accused both the BJP and the Congress of failing to address the shortage issue. He said that the shortage is such that scuffles are taking place among farmers while waiting in queues for urea.

The BRS could have exercised the option of NOTA had it been available in the Vice Presidential election, Rao said.

Additionally, BJD leader Sasmit Patra said that his party’s priority is the “four-and-a-half crore people of Odisha".

“Following discussions by our honourable party president, Mr Naveen Patnaik with the party’s senior leaders, Political Affairs Committee and MPs, the Biju Janata Dal has decided to abstain from the vice presidential elections tomorrow," Patra said.

“The BJD remains equidistant from both the NDA and INDIA alliances. We are focused on the development and welfare of Odisha and four-and-a-half crore people of Odisha," Patra added.

Opposition Holds Mock Poll

Meanwhile, Opposition MPs were briefed on the procedure to vote in the September 9 vice-presidential polls, sources in the INDIA bloc told the news agency.

They said a ‘mock poll’ was conducted in the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan on Monday after the briefing on the procedure to vote in the vice presidential polls.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was to host a dinner for the opposition MPs on Monday evening, but that has been cancelled keeping in view the flood situation in many parts of the country.

Vice-President Polls

The election, scheduled for September 9, will witness a direct contest between Justice (Retd.) B Sudershan Reddy, backed by the INDIA bloc, and the NDA’s nominee, Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

The polling will commence at 10 am and close at 5 pm on September 9.

The VP is elected through an electoral college, which consists of MPs from both houses of Parliament. The election of the vice president is governed by the provisions under Articles 64 and 68 of the Constitution.

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

(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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News politics Vice-President Elections: BJD, BRS To Abstain From Voting; Opposition Holds Mock Poll

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