New Delhi: NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan was elected as India’s 15th Vice President, securing a decisive 452 votes against the INDIA bloc’s joint candidate, former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, who polled 300.
Announcing the results, Returning Officer PC Mody said 767 out of 781 eligible MPs cast their ballots, recording a turnout of 98.2 percent. Of the votes polled, 752 were valid while 15 were declared invalid. With the majority mark set at 391, Radhakrishnan crossed the threshold comfortably.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to vote in the secret ballot, followed by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Two MPs, Sheikh Abdul Rashid and Amritpal Singh, currently in detention, exercised their franchise via postal ballot.
The NDA entered the contest with a clear numerical advantage, commanding 426 MPs in both Houses, with further by support from the YSR Congress Party. The INDIA bloc fielded Reddy, while the BJD and BRS abstained. The election was held following the resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in July.
Met Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji and congratulated him on winning the Vice Presidential election.@CPRGuv pic.twitter.com/yb9pbgvKXj
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2025
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Radhakrishnan, noting that his “decades of rich experience in public life will contribute significantly to the nation’s progress.”
Prime Minister Modi hailed him as “an outstanding VP, who will strengthen our Constitutional values and enhance Parliamentary discourse.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised Radhakrishnan’s “grassroots leadership and profound administrative knowledge.”
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, while extending best wishes, urged the new Vice President to uphold “the highest ethos of Parliamentary traditions” and ensure dignity for the Opposition. He also reiterated concerns over Jagdeep Dhankhar’s abrupt resignation, calling for greater transparency and accountability in constitutional offices.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described the outcome as a “respectable performance” for the Opposition, noting that it had improved its share from 26 percent in 2022 to 40 percent this year. He argued that while the BJP won numerically, “the ideological battle continues undiminished.”
My heartfelt thanks to our Honourable President of India Smt. @rashtrapatibhvn Ji. 🙏🙏🙏 https://t.co/veU8iyFvut
— CP Radhakrishnan (@CPRGuv) September 9, 2025
In a statement, Sudershan Reddy conceded defeat with “abiding faith in the democratic process,” while stressing that the fight for constitutional morality and justice was far from over. “Though the result is not in my favour, the larger cause we have collectively sought to advance remains undiminished,” he said.
Reddy expressed gratitude to Opposition leaders for fielding him as their joint nominee and reaffirmed his commitment to “upholding equality, fraternity, and liberty.”
Radhakrishnan, a two-time BJP MP from Coimbatore and veteran leader from Tamil Nadu, will now preside over the Rajya Sabha as its ex officio Chairman. His tenure begins at a time when Parliamentary debates are often marked by sharp exchanges between the ruling coalition and the Opposition.
