• Source:JND
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The alleged cross-voting at the Vice Presidential Elections by Opposition MPs has erupted into a major political controversy, with Congress leader Manish Tewari demanding a formal investigation into the matter. Calling out for a probe, he said that the incident is a serious breach of trust that raises pressing questions about the internal unity. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to hit back, pointing to signs of internal discord within the Opposition ahead of a series of upcoming state elections.

“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 is being said or speculated has an iota of truth in it, it deserves a systematic and clinical investigation,” Tewari said.

Earlier today, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju took a dig at the Opposition, sarcastically thanking them over the cross-voting controversy.

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“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 wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Party whips do not apply in Vice Presidential elections, as voting is done by secret ballot and MPs are expected to vote based on their conscience. However, most MPs follow their party's stance, which makes cross-voting a serious issue for the INDIA Bloc ahead of key elections in Bihar and Tamil Nadu. However, the Opposition leaders have denied cross-voting by their MPs.

Cross-Voting In Vice Presidential Elections

NDA’s candidate CP Radhakrishnan secured 452 out of the total 767 votes, while B Sudershan Reddy managed only 300 votes. Speculation over cross-voting arose because Rahdakrishnan was expected to receive 427 votes based on the current strength of both houses. His count was expected to rise after YSRCP announced support for the NDA. However, he was projected to get around 449 votes.

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Justice Reddy was expected to receive 315 votes with support from all INDIA bloc members. The final results suggest that some opposition MPs voted for the NDA candidate, possibly due to factors such as his Tamil Nadu background.