The Vice Presidential election concluded on Tuesday with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate CP Radhakrishnan elected as India’s 15th Vice President. The Maharashtra Governor and BJP veteran secured 452 votes, defeating Opposition nominee and former Supreme Court Justice B. Sudershan Reddy.
The day began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting the first vote soon after polling opened at 10 AM in Parliament House. He was followed by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, and several senior Union Ministers. Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also exercised their franchise before voting concluded at 5 PM.
The election was conducted through a secret ballot system, allowing MPs to vote independently without being bound by party whips. Out of the total 781 members of Parliament eligible to vote, 13 MPs abstained, including seven from the Biju Janata Dal, four from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, one from the Shiromani Akali Dal, and one independent.
Radhakrishnan’s victory was expected, given the NDA’s strong position in both Houses. On paper, the ruling alliance had the backing of 427 MPs, comfortably above the majority mark of 391. By contrast, the Opposition bloc supporting Reddy had 354 MPs. The YSR Congress Party sided with the NDA, while the BRS and BJD chose to abstain.
The contest, however, was framed differently by the Opposition. Congress MP Tanuj Punia described the election as a “battle of ideologies,” claiming that one side was misusing constitutional institutions, while the Opposition’s candidate stood for impartiality and constitutional integrity. Reddy himself had urged MPs to vote by conscience rather than party loyalty, underlining the Vice President’s duty as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha to maintain neutrality.
Radhakrishnan, aged 67, brings decades of political and administrative experience. A two-time Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure, he also served as the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief before his gubernatorial appointment. His opponent, 79-year-old Justice Reddy, retired from the Supreme Court in 2011 and was widely respected for landmark rulings, including his judgment declaring the Salwa Judum anti-Maoist militia unconstitutional.
The election came less than two months after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President on July 21, citing health reasons. With this result, CP Radhakrishnan will now take charge as Vice President of India and Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.
