Sonia Gandhi, Kharge, other Congress leaders cast their votes for 15th Vice Presidential elections

New Delhi [India], September 9 (ANI): Various Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, MP Shashi Tharoor, MP Priyanka Gandhi, and others arrived at Parliament house on Tuesday to cast their vote for the ongoing Vice Presidential elections.
The VP polls commenced in Parliament house at 10 AM today, with the counting of votes set to happen at 6 PM.
Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge was seen walking along with Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nitin Gadkari, shaking his hand and exchanging pleasantries.
While Congress is backing former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has nominated former Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan.
NDA allies like TDP and the JDU are backing the NDA candidate, ensuring that the number stay in favour of Radhakrishnan.
TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu said, "The main strategy is that we, all 18 MPs, want to finish our voting within the first hour. Everyone is prepared for that...I am not only confident that our NDA candidate will win but I am also confident that he will get more than 80-100 majority in this election. There will definitely be cross-voting from the parties that are in between; they will be voting for us. Also, some of the Opposition MPs will be voting for us."
The voting for the 15th Vice Presidential election began on Tuesday morning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi exercising his franchise along with other prominent ministers and MPs. PM Modi was the first to cast his vote.
The election comes 50 days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post as the Vice President on July 21, citing health reasons.
Both the BJP-led NDA and opposition parties held mock polls ahead of the crucial day earlier, telling the MPs to be cautious in exercising their franchise lest their vote be invalid.
Earlier today Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, JP Nadda, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Pralhad Joshi cast their votes.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed support for CP Radhakrishnan and confidence in his victory.
"NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan will surely win the Vice-President elections," Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi told reporters.
On the other hand, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has accused the BJP having a "use-and-throw" attitude towards former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar.
"Numbers are fine but this voting is done on the basis of one's conscience. The entire country knows that the BJP is a use-and-throw party. The same thing happened with the Vice President, who is missing...The numbers will be in our favour," the SP chief told ANI.
NDA hold a majority in the Parliament, and 424 MPs are likely to vote in favour of Radhakrishnan, which is above the majority mark of 391.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharat Rashtri Samiti (BRS) has decided to abstain from voting in the Vice Presidential elections. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) from Punjab has also announced they are 'boycotting' the elections. (ANI)