Overview

• Opposition nominee B Sudarshan Reddy, a retired Supreme Court judge, filed four sets of papers in New Delhi with senior INDIA bloc leaders present and said the contest is about reaffirming Parliament’s integrity and respect for dissent.
• Reddy’s submission included 160 MPs as proposers and seconders, and he pledged, if elected, to preside over the Rajya Sabha with impartiality, dignity, and a commitment to dialogue and decorum.
• NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan filed his papers a day earlier, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as chief proposer; four sets were handed to returning officer and Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody for scrutiny.
• The Election Commission set polling for September 9 with counting the same day; the nomination deadline was August 21 and withdrawals are allowed until August 25.
• The electoral college comprises 781 MPs with a majority mark of 391, and reports cite the NDA at about 422 votes, including support from non-INDIA parties such as the YSRCP.