With veteran leader Jagdeep Dhankhar stepping down as the Vice-President of India, the Election Commission has initiated the process for electing a new Vice President.
The Vice President is elected by an electoral college comprising members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Chances are that Congress-led INDIA block also will field its candidate against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA candidate.
In Andhra Pradesh, the three alliance partners — TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena — together have 21 Lok Sabha and 4 Rajya Sabha MPs. It goes without saying that they would vote in favour of the NDA candidate.
However, all eyes are now on the YSR Congress Party — whom will they support? What decision will Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy take? Given the current political climate, Jagan’s stand on this matter could be a major turning point.
Back in 2018, even though the TDP was part of the NDA, YSRCP had supported NDA's decisions.
The TDP subsequently exited the NDA alliance, and YSRCP came to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2019, obviously with behind the screen support from the BJP.
Until the 2024 elections, YSRCP supported NDA bills in Parliament unconditionally.
However, with several cases now pending against YSRCP leaders and a spate of arrests taking place, there is intense speculation over whether Jagan will continue to support the NDA.
Political circles suggest that Jagan still enjoys indirect backing from key BJP leaders.
Based on this assumption, party leaders believe that Jagan is unlikely to support the Congress-led opposition bloc and will instead remain aligned with the NDA.
If Jagan indeed decides to cast YSRCP votes in favour of the NDA candidate after the alliance came to power at the Centre, it could have significant long-term political implications.
Notably, the NDA already has the majority required to win the Vice-Presidential election.
Out of 786 total members in both Houses, 394 votes are needed for a win. The NDA reportedly commands the support of 422 MPs.
Still, the BJP has continued to engage with other parties beyond what is strictly necessary for a majority — a strategy it has maintained since 2014. This approach brought the YSRCP closer to the BJP in 2018.
Currently, YSRCP holds 7 Rajya Sabha and 4 Lok Sabha seats. Jagan’s stance in this Vice-Presidential election may mark a decisive shift in future political alignments.
