Ahead of Tuesday’s Vice Presidential election, three regional parties—the BRS, BJD, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)—announced that their MPs would abstain from voting. The polls began at 10 AM, with NDA nominee Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan facing Opposition INDIA bloc nominee and former Supreme Court Judge B. Sudershan Reddy.

BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao said the party’s abstention is an expression of the "anguish" of Telangana’s farmers over the ongoing urea shortage. He accused both Congress and BJP of failing to resolve the crisis, which has led to scuffles and unrest among farmers waiting in long queues. Rama Rao emphasized that the BRS had no objection to either Vice Presidential candidate, stating, "We are abstaining. We are not going to participate." He added that the party would have considered NOTA if the option were available in the Vice Presidential election.

The BJD, led by former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, also announced its MPs would abstain to maintain an equidistant stance from the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led INDIA bloc. BJD MP Sasmit Patra said the decision was taken after consulting senior party leaders, the political affairs committee, and lawmakers. The party has a history of alternating positions in past Vice Presidential elections, including abstaining in 2012, backing Gopalkrishna Gandhi in 2017, and supporting NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankar in 2022.

On Tuesday, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) joined the trend, also deciding to abstain from voting, although the party did not cite specific reasons publicly.

The current election was necessitated after Vice President Dhankhar resigned on July 21. While BJD has only seven MPs in the Rajya Sabha and none in the Lok Sabha, the NDA commands a clear majority with 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 129 in the Rajya Sabha, giving its candidate a strong advantage.