New Delhi [India], September 9 : Ahead of voting for the Vice Presidential election on Tuesday, BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra has voiced confidence in NDA nominee and Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan's victory, calling the process a "mere formality."
"The result is clear, CP Radhakrishnan will win. Voting is a formality. I don't think there is a candidate who is more intellectual and clear-sighted than him, who has knowledge of the Constitution. I don't think even one (NDA) MP will deviate from the party line and vote," Mishra told ANI.
The Vice Presidential election is being held to fill the vacancy created after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President on July 21, citing health reasons.
Polling begins at 10 am in Parliament and counting is scheduled for the evening, with results expected around 5 pm.
The stage is set for a contest between Radhakrishnan and retired Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy, who has been named as the joint opposition candidate for the Vice President's post.
Both the BJP-led NDA and opposition parties held mock polls ahead of the crucial day, telling the MPs to be cautious in exercising their franchise lest their vote be invalid.
It seems that NDA's candidate CP Radhakrishnan has an edge with 427 MPs, well above the majority mark of 391, supporting him for the post.
A BJP leader had said that the NDA candidate is expected to garner at least 427 votes.
In the Lok Sabha, Radhakrishnan is expected to receive 293 votes, and 134 votes are likely to be cast in his favour in the Rajya Sabha.
Joint opposition candidate Reddy is backed by 354 MPs, with 249 in the lower house and 105 in the upper house of the Parliament.
Currently, the Parliament comprises 781 members, including 542 in the Lok Sabha with one seat vacant and 239 in the Rajya Sabha with five seats vacant.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has decided to abstain from voting in the Vice Presidential elections. Meanwhile, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) will not take part in the Vice Presidential poll.
Moreover, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced that it will "boycott" the Vice Presidential election, given that people in Punjab are "upset and angry" over no help from the central or state government.