NDA's Radhakrishnan elected next VP, defeats Reddy with bigger than expected margin of 152 votes

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Maharashtra Governor and NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan was elected the 15th Vice President of India on Tuesday, bagging 452 votes against Opposition nominee and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy's 300 votes, amid indications of cross-voting in his favour.

Announcing the result of the vice presidential election, Rajya Sabha Secretary General and Returning Officer P C Mody said 767 MPs out of 781 cast their votes with a total turnout of 98.2 per cent. He said 752 ballots were valid and 15 were invalid, bringing down the required majority of first preference votes to 377.

"I declare C P Radhakrishnan elected to the post of Vice President of India, and the results will be communicated to the Election Commission," Mody said.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Radhakrishnan, saying his decades of rich experience in public life will contribute significantly to the nation's progress, strengthen constitutional values and enhance parliamentary discourse.

The victory of Radhakrishnan (67), a seasoned politician from Tamil Nadu having an RSS background and decades-long stint first in the Jana Sangh and then the BJP, was a foregone conclusion due to the ruling alliance's numerical edge.

However, the extent of his victory margin is a setback to the Opposition, which had claimed all its 315 MPs remained united in the election and voted for Reddy, their joint candidate. Radhakrishnan's margin was bigger than expected, with BJP leaders claiming that he drew support even from the rival camp.

The BJP-led NDA had on paper 427 MPs in its alliance, with the YSR Congress also extending the support of its 11 MPs to its candidate. Some MPs representing smaller parties also backed Radhakrishnan.

BJP leaders were quick to claim after the results were announced that at least 15 opposition MPs voted in favour of Radhakrishnan. There were hints from the ruling alliance that some opposition MPs deliberately cast invalid votes.

BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal later claimed that "nearly 40 opposition MPs" listened to the voice of their conscience and voted in "some manner" in support of the NDA candidate, showing wider acceptance for him. His assertion of support from 40 opposition MPs appeared to include several invalid votes. Some opposition leaders had appealed to MPs' conscience in the polls to support Reddy, and the senior BJP leader's comments were seen as a retort to them.

"Congratulations to Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji on winning the 2025 Vice Presidential election. His life has always been devoted to serving society and empowering the poor and marginalised.

"I am confident that he will be an outstanding VP, who will strengthen our Constitutional values and enhance Parliamentary discourse," Modi said in a post on X.

Radhakrishnan, who will be sworn in soon, thanked President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi for their best wishes on his election to the second-highest constitutional post of the country.

Losing candidate Sudershan Reddy said he humbly accepts the result and wished vice president-elect Radhakrishnan the very best in his new role.

The Congress also congratulated the NDA nominee on his win, and said its ideological battle against the ruling alliance will continue "undiminished".

Declaring the poll result, Rajya Sabha Secretary General Mody said one postal ballot was received but was treated as "returned and cancelled" as the elector declined to cast his vote. Three MPs - Amritpal Singh, PV Midhun Reddy and Sheikh Abdul Rashid - were eligible for the postal ballot, of which two - Reddy and Rashid - voted in person.

Strongly rooted in the RSS and the BJP, Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan brings along a rich political and administrative experience that will prove handy in his role as the ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.

Seen as a soft-spoken and non-confrontational leader, the 67-year-old Radhakrishnan succeeds Jagdeep Dhankhar, who suddenly resigned as vice president on July 21 almost two years before his term was to end. He is the third leader from Tamil Nadu to occupy the coveted post.

Dhankhar was known for his frequent run-ins with the Opposition and had even faced an impeachment notice from them.

In his first comments since he quit, Dhankhar on Tuesday extended greetings to Radhakrishnan.

In a letter to Radhakrishnan, Dhankhar said, "Your elevation to this august office reflects the trust and confidence of the representatives of our nation." Dhankhar said that given Radhakrishnan's vast experience in public life, under his stewardship, the office would "certainly attain greater veneration and glory".

Soon after Radhakrishnan won, the Congress said the Opposition stood united for the election with a "most respectable" performance and claimed the BJP's arithmetical victory is both "moral and political defeat".

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended best wishes to Radhakrishnan, saying, "This was more than an election; it was a battle of ideology, reaffirming that governments with authoritarian tendencies must be checked to protect our Constitution and democracy." In a post on X, Kharge said, "We hope the new Vice President-elect will uphold the highest ethos of Parliamentary traditions, ensuring equal space and dignity for the Opposition, and not succumb to pressures of the ruling dispensation." He said the vice president's post must be revitalised to reflect independence, fairness, and strength in safeguarding democratic values.

The electoral college for the vice presidential election comprises a total of 788 members - 245 from the Rajya Sabha and 543 from the Lok Sabha.

The present strength of the electoral college is 781 as six seats are vacant in the Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha. PTI SKU SKC ASK KR NAB BJ SKC RT RT