Explained | CP Radhakrishnan vs Sudershan Reddy: How the numbers stack up for VP polls

Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan is NDA's candidate while the opposition came out with a surprise package in the name of ex SC judge B Sudershan Reddy.

The sudden resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at the beginning of Parliament's Monsoon session has created a political vacuum which both the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are now vying to fill.

The vice presidential elections slated for September 9 will see a tough competition between candidates of the ruling party and the opposition.

NDA announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as their vice-presidential candidate, while the opposition came out with a surprise package in the name of former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy.

Let's take a look at the how the upcoming vice-presidential elections can play out.

NDA's choice: CP Radhakrishnan

On Sunday, NDA chose CP Radhakrishnan as their Vice Presidential candidate. An RSS-loyalist, Radhakrishnan hails from Tamil Nadu's Gounder community, a section of which has extended support to the saffron party over the past decade.

He previously held the post of governor in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand and was also a former chief of the Tamil Nadu BJP. He is credited with growing the party in the communally sensitive city of Coimbatore.

Radhakrishnan's RSS background, and his non-controversial image compounded with the fact that he is the key to make inroads into Tamil Nadu (a place the saffron party has struggled to gain a foothold) makes him a clever and strategic choice.

I.N.D.I.A.'s B Sudershan Reddy: VP candidate

After much speculation, I.N.D.I.A. bloc announced former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy as their VP choice.

The announcement caps two days of intense consultations during which names of former ISRO scientist Mylswamy Annadurai and Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi among others were also discussed.

Kharge called Reddy's nomination as an “ideological battle” against the BJP-led NDA.

Prior to this, speculations abound that ISRO scientist Mylswamy Annadurai was the frontrunner amongst the pool of names. However, Trinamool Congress had reservations over choosing Annadurai as the Opposition candidate as it would be seen as Tamil vs Tamil fight.

The numbers game

The Vice President will be elected via an Electoral College which includes Members of Parliament of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Currently, the total strength of the house stands at 782. Thus to win, a candidate must have more than half of the total votes -- 392 -- to be elected.

But if we look at the number game, at the moment the NDA candidate has the upper hand.

The BJP-led NDA has 423 MPs, with 293 in Lok Sabha and 130 in Rajya Sabha, automatically giving them an edge over the opposition, provided all NDA allies support Radhakrishnan.