It was always a one-sided contest. The BJP-led NDA, buoyed by its strength in Parliament, had the Vice-Presidential election in its pocket. And yet, the Congress party, desperate to keep the tottering Indi alliance alive, decided to throw former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy under the bus as its nominee. The outcome? Predictably, a humiliation. The NDA’s candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan romped home with a crushing 152-vote margin.
The Congress, however, insists it has “emerged stronger.” Stronger in what? In the art of self-delusion, perhaps. Like a schoolboy who fails the exam but proudly announces that his marks improved from 26 to 34, the grand old party finds solace in defeat. The difference, of course, is that the Vice-Presidential election is a pass-fail test—you either win the post, or you don’t. No consolation prizes are awarded.
Before the election, Rahul Gandhi and his allies had exhorted MPs to exercise their “conscience vote.” Lofty words. But when the ballots were counted, it turned out that the only conscience stirring was among the opposition’s own allies—14 or 15 of whom crossed over to support the NDA candidate. So much for unity.
What explains this desertion? Perhaps some lawmakers couldn’t reconcile themselves to backing a nominee who, as a Supreme Court judge, once delivered a controversial verdict banning the Salwa Judum, the tribal militia formed to counter Maoists. Or perhaps they simply recognized the absurdity of propping up a no-hope candidate just to satisfy Rahul Gandhi’s ego. Either way, the “vote chori” conspiracy theory floated in advance by the opposition collapsed under its own weight.
And where was the Leader of the Opposition during this decisive moment? Nowhere to be seen. Rahul Gandhi, who never misses an opportunity to deliver speeches on morality and democracy, chose to skip the Vice-Presidential election altogether. Was it an act of silent protest? Or was it the familiar story of shying away from responsibility when the writing on the wall is too clear? The absence speaks louder than his speeches.
The Congress’s choice of nominee also betrays its political schizophrenia. For months, the Indi alliance has paraded itself as the champion of Backward Classes. Yet when push came to shove, it picked an upper-caste candidate to take on an OBC nominee like Radhakrishnan. What clearer proof is needed that the Congress’s “social justice” plank is nothing but lip service? To elevate rhetoric over reality, they sacrificed coherence on the altar of tokenism.
This contradiction has not gone unnoticed. By rejecting a backward class nominee and then crying victimhood after defeat, the Congress has insulted the very communities it claims to represent. If this isn’t political hypocrisy, what is?
What the Congress got in return for its miscalculation was not just a defeat but a stinging slap from its own allies. The cross-voting has exposed the cracks within the Indi alliance—cracks that no amount of rhetoric about “saving the Constitution” can plaster over. The Vice-Presidential result is not just about numbers; it is about trust. And clearly, many in the opposition camp no longer trust Rahul Gandhi’s judgment—or his leadership.
Instead of bowing with grace, the Congress is celebrating its “increased vote share.” It is a spectacle bordering on the absurd. In elections that are decided by clear majorities, celebrating an increased tally in defeat is like a batsman raising his bat after scoring 20 runs in a match where his team was bowled out for 50. The only ones clapping are the diehards who confuse sloganeering with achievement.
The Vice-Presidential election of 2025 will be remembered not for the NDA’s predictable victory but for the Congress’ predictable blunders. It showed once again that the party has mastered the art of losing and then pretending it has won. For the Indi alliance, the conscience vote has turned into a conscience crisis. For the Congress, the path ahead is not just steep—it is suicidal, unless it learns the first rule of politics: stop insulting your voters’ intelligence.
