Allegations of Cross-Voting and Moral Victory Claims in Vice Presidential Election

The NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan won the Vice Presidential election, defeating INDIA’s Sudarshan Reddy by a significant margin. Radhakrishnan received 452 votes compared to Reddy’s 300. The INDIA alliance, which has a strength of 315 MPs, faced an unexpected outcome, prompting claims of cross-voting. Reports indicate that 10 to 13 MPs from the Maha Vikas Aghadi may have voted for the NDA candidate. The INDIA alliance is currently investigating the matter. The election witnessed a total of 752 valid and 15 invalid votes. Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) questioned the claims of cross-voting, asserting that the alliance secured the votes it was entitled to. He also noted that the 15 invalid votes were against Sudarshan Reddy. BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal claimed that approximately 40 opposition MPs voted in favor of the NDA candidate, including some votes that were later declared invalid. NDA leaders have indicated that some opposition MPs from Maharashtra supported Radhakrishnan.