Election Commission Assigns Observers for Vice-Presidential Poll

Quick Summary

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed two additional secretaries as observers for the upcoming vice presidential election on September 9, 2025.
• Sushil Kumar Lohani (Additional Secretary,Ministry of Panchayati Raj) and D. Anandan (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, department of Expenditure) have been assigned to oversee the process.
• Nitin Kumar Shivdas Khade (Joint Secretary, Ministry of rural Growth) has been placed on the reserve list for observer duties.
• The election will see NDA candidate C. P. Radhakrishnan contesting against Opposition nominee B. Sudarshan Reddy.
• The ECI stated that it exercised its constitutional powers in making these appointments.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The appointment of observers by the Election Commission reflects its commitment to ensuring clarity and impartiality in electoral processes at high levels such as vice presidential elections. By selecting officials from central ministries with varied expertise-spanning Panchayati Raj and financial expenditure-the ECI appears focused on creating a balanced oversight mechanism during this democratic exercise.

Notably, the selection underscores how constitutional powers are employed to safeguard fairness amidst competitive political representation between NDA’s C.P. Radhakrishnan and Opposition’s B.Sudarshan Reddy candidates for one of India’s key constitutional roles.Read more: