Shiromani Akali Dal to abstain from voting in Veep elections citing Punjab floods

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced it will boycott the vice presidential elections, citing the ongoing flood crisis in Punjab. Harsimrat Kaur Badal is the party's lone Member of Parliament. SAD joins the BRS and BJD, who have also declared their intention to abstain from voting in the polls. This collective abstention is seen as potentially benefiting the NDA's candidate, CP Radhakrishnan, who is contesting against the India bloc's candidate, Sudarshan Reddy. The election was necessitated by the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar. The electoral college comprises all MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and the voting is scheduled to take place in the new parliament building. Prime Minister Modi is expected to be the first to cast his vote.