Cross-voting in Vice President Election? ‘Deserves systematic investigation,’ says Congress MP Manish Tewari

Allegations of cross-voting by the INDIA bloc members have surfaced after National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate CP Radhakrishnan was elected as the 15th Vice President, defeating Opposition candidate Justice (retd) B Sudershan Reddy on Tuesday. According to reports, opposition leaders have concluded that at least ten votes were lost due to cross-voting or invalid voting.

Radhakrishnan defeated Reddy by 152 votes in the Vice Presidential election. The NDA nominee received 452 first preference votes, whereas Justice Reddy received 300 first preference votes. Fifteen votes were considered invalid.

A Hindustan Times report said that, based on internal discussions between the INDIC bloc parties, the Aam Admi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and JMM have lost votes. However, these conclusions are based on informal discussions, as it is impossible to detect how one MP has voted through secret ballots.

Congress Member of Parliament Manish Tewari on Wednesday responded to the alleged probability of cross-voting and said it deserves a systematic investigation by each constituent of the opposition alliance.

“If there was cross-voting, then it should be seriously investigated by each of the constituents of the INDIA Alliance. Cross-voting is an extremely serious matter. If at all, what you are saying is correct or what is appearing in the public space or is being speculated has an iota of truth in it, it deserves a systematic and clinical investigation,” Tewari told ANI.

Tewari’s remarks come after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju today took a “conscience” swipe at the opposition over the probability of cross-voting by the INDIA bloc MPs in the recently concluded Vice Presidential election, where NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan emerged victorious.

Rijiju said that NDA and “all our friendly MPs” remain united.

“Special thanks to some MPs of- INDI Alliance who voted with ‘Conscience’ for NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan in the VP election. NDA and All our friendly MPs remain united. Congratulations to everyone on electing a humble & efficient man and a true patriot as India’s new Vice President,” Rijiju posted on X.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary BL Santhosh claimed that the INDIA bloc candidate received 15 fewer votes than their total number.

“Voting happened through ballot papers & INDI Alliance got 15 votes less than their number. The INDI alliance leaders had campaigned for conscience vote. They got it in return,” Santhosh posted on X.

Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the opposition’s performance in the Vice Presidential election was “respectable,” noting that its joint candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy (retd) secured 40 per cent of the vote.

Ramesh contrasted the result with the 2022 Vice Presidential polls, when the Opposition’s share was 26 per cent.

“The Opposition stood united for the Vice Presidential election. Its performance has undeniably been most respectable. Its joint candidate Justice (retd) B. Sudershan Reddy secured 40% of the vote. In 2022, the Opposition had received 26% of the vote in the Vice Presidential elections,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

“The BJP’s arithmetical victory is really both a moral and political defeat. The ideological battle continues undiminished,” he added.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) abstained from voting in the Vice Presidential election, while Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) decided not to participate. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced that it would “boycott” the poll, given that people in Punjab are “upset and angry” over no help from the Centre and the state government. So, 14 members abstained from voting.

The Vice President’s post has been vacant since 21 July 21, when Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned, citing health reasons.