New DelhiSeptember 10, 2025 05:45 PM IST
First published on: Sep 10, 2025 at 05:45 PM IST
On Tuesday, B Sudershan Reddy, the joint Opposition nominee for the Vice-President election, got 300 votes, falling 152 short of the NDA’s C P Radhakrishnan. The Opposition had been hoping to get 320-plus votes, suggesting some cross-voting from its ranks. CPI(M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas weighs in on the lack of “coherence” among Opposition parties. Excerpts:
* How do you see the outcome of the Vice-President election? Congress leader Jairam Ramesh declared confidently after the voting how all 315 Opposition MPs had turned up to cast their ballot.
Since the entire Opposition came together, unlike the last time, no party was staying away. From the Left to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Congress – all the parties were on board. So we were expecting that at least we would respectfully cross 315 votes. That would have been a good number.
We knew that we would lose the election, but more than that, the Opposition standing together in a political and ideological battle… that was much more relevant in the present context. So this so-called erosion that has happened… that is indeed dampening or disappointing.
One thing is very clear, the Opposition bloc lacks coherence, which is needed now. There should be coherence within the party and also between the parties in the Opposition bloc… Unless you have that coherence, your fight with the BJP would have problems.
* Why this alarm over lack of coherence?
It is all the more important now because of this so-called erosion that has happened. We were supposed to get 320-plus votes… Since it has gone down to 300, that means there is a lack of coherence. Few people haven’t voted, and few are invalid votes also… So it again exposes our lack of coherence.
* How do you view the invalid votes?
Few of those votes would have been (mistakes) that happened genuinely… Because that’s why both the NDA and the Opposition bloc tried to have mock sessions (before voting). But a few, I think, would have been deliberate. I will not bracket all those 15 invalid votes to be an inadvertent error or a genuine mistake. A few of them would be deliberate attempts to make votes invalid. It is very evident.
Moreover, this so-called invalid votes happening is a disgrace for MPs because you are supposed to be somebody who is grooming people on how to diligently exercise this democratic process. What is the message you are sending to the people? You are unable to exercise your own franchise in an impeccable fashion.
Even if it (the mistake) is genuine, that message is not good. And it’s not rocket science. You just need to mark ‘1’ or ‘2’. So just marking ‘1’ (on a ballot paper), if you can’t do it, that itself is a wrong message. You were all candidates and will be candidates again. How will you now tell people that you should vote diligently and ensure that their votes don’t become invalid? And 15 invalid votes in a 781-member electoral college is a big number in terms of percentage.
* There is some speculation that MPs from Maharashtra and Jharkhand indulged in cross-voting, as did those of a party.
I have also seen the reports, but since I don’t have firsthand information, I can’t say anything for sure. One thing is clear, erosion has happened. We have lost votes. But without substantive evidence, I don’t want to point fingers at anyone.
But it’s time for all parties to get their act together and introspect on how this has happened. There should be horizontal and vertical examination… Some analysis should be done because there are many more battles ahead. It may not be in the form of one or the other election, but there are battles ahead. To have a coherent team is very important at this juncture.
… All parties must conduct an assessment. I think, at least, we may get some clue out of it. How it happened, what happened, etc… If you look at it closely and do an analysis, a threadbare analysis, something would emerge on what actually happened.