Akali Dal Skips Vice-Presidential Poll, Says Centre And State Abandoned Punjab During Floods

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced it will boycott the Vice-Presidential election, accusing both the Centre and the Punjab government of failing to provide relief during the recent floods that destroyed crops, homes, and displaced thousands, The Tribune reported.

SAD, represented in Parliament only by Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur, said Punjab’s crisis was “man-made” and caused by state government negligence, adding that neither government had come forward to help.

The party declared on X that it was echoing the anger of Punjabis by refusing to vote.

Along with SAD, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have also chosen to abstain.

The election sees NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan face off against INDIA bloc candidate Justice (Retd) B Sudershan Reddy, following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar in July.

The Vice-Presidential election on Tuesday (9 September) pits NDA nominee and Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan against former Supreme Court judge Sudershan Reddy, backed by the INDI alliance.

The electoral college of 786 MPs requires 394 votes for a majority. With 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 129 in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA commands 422 votes, well above the halfway mark, placing Radhakrishnan in pole position.

The INDI bloc, with around 160-170 MPs, has fielded Reddy in a largely symbolic contest.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has also pledged support, projecting solidarity between the two Hyderabad leaders.

However, key regional players like the BJD and BRS have chosen to abstain.

Opposition leaders framed the Vice-Presidential poll as an act of “democratic assertion,” despite the NDA’s clear numerical edge.

While the BJP projected its candidate CP Radhakrishnan as an experienced and controversy-free leader, the INDI alliance pitched Justice Sudershan Reddy as a constitutionalist symbol in an ideological battle.

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Also Read: NDA’s Radhakrishnan Poised To Win Vice-President Elections; BJD And BRS Announce Decision To Abstain From Voting