In a major boost to the NDA pursuit in the vice presidential election, Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP has announced to support the ruling party's candidate CP Radhakrishnan.

While speaking to the news agency PTI, YSR Congress Lok Sabha MP MaddilaGurumoorthy that his party will back the Maharashtra Governor's candidature in the elections.

His announcement is a major dent to the opposition INDIA bloc, which was yet to announce the candidate. A meeting in this regard was called by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge today.

PTI, based on sources, stated that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called Reddy, seeking support for Radhakrishnan. YSRCP's support is a major head start for the BJP as its key opponent TDP, which rules Andhra Pradesh at present, is an ally of the saffron party.

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Number game in VP elections

YSRCP has a total of 11 MPs (4 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 7 MPs in the Rajya Sabha). The BJP-led NDA already enjoys a majority in the electoral college. The Electoral College comprises of all MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

There are 233 seats in the Rajya Sabha and 543 in the Lok Sabha. Apart from that, 12 members are nominated in the Rajya Sabha by the President.

This takes the total strength of the Electoral College to 788. However, for the VP election 2025, its strength is 782 as 5 seats in the Rajya Sabha and 1 seat in the Lok Sabha are vacant.

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The votes needed for any candidate to win are 392. The BJP alone has 341 votes (MPs). The ruling NDA has 426 votes (MPs), sufficient for Radhakrishnan's victory. With 11 votes of YSRCP, the NDA candidate might get 437 votes out of 782.