Indian lawmakers began voting Tuesday to elect the country’s next vice president, according to parliamentary officials and Indian news outlets. Polling pened today at 10:00 a.m. local time and runs until 5:00 p.m., with counting slated to begin after 6:00 p.m. Results are expected by nightfall.
According to officials, the poll was called because former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar suddenly resigned in July, saying it was for health concerns. Indian media say that the BJP-dominated National Democratic Alliance has put up Maharashtra Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan as a candidate, while the opposition INDIA group, lead by the Congress party, has put forward retired Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, which are both halves of India’s Parliament, make up the electoral college that chooses the vice president. According to legislative records, the total number of voters is 781, with 542 in the lower house and 239 in the upper house. To win, a candidate must get 391 votes.
Next: Voting finishes at 5:00 p.m. IST (7:30 a.m. ET). Counting will begin after 6:00 p.m. IST (8:30 a.m. ET), and the results are expected to be announced later tonight in New Delhi.
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