NDA candidate Radhakrishnan wins vice-presidential elections; beats Reddy

NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan on Tuesday won the Vice Presidential elections with 452 votes, beaing Opposition nominee B Sudershan Reddy, who managed only 300 votes. Radhakrishnan will become India's 15th Vice President when he takes the oath of office.

A soft-spoken and non-controversial figure, Radhakrishnan has been the Governor of Maharashtra since July 31, 2024. An Other Backward Class (OBC) leader from the Goundar-Kongu Vellalar community, he was born in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

The vote tally hints at some cross-voting in favour of Radhakrishnan. BJP leaders claimed that at least 15 Opposition members voted for the NDA nominee. Earlier, the Congress had claimed that the Opposition was united with all of its 315 MPs turning up to vote in the vice presidential polls. The poll was necessitated by the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21.

A total of 767 MPs cast their ballot in a turnout of 98.2 per cent, of which 752 were valid and 15 votes were deemed invalid, said P C Mody, Rajya Sabha secretary general and returning officer. One postal ballot was cancelled as the MP declined to cast the vote.

According to him, Radhakrishnan secured 452 first preference votes as against 300 for Reddy. "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 announced.

In a social media post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his congratulations to the newly-elected VP, saying he would strengthen "Constitutional values and enhance Parliamentary discourse".

Radhakrishnan's predecessor, Jagdeep Dhankhar, also offered his congratulations, saying: "Your elevation to august office reflects trust and confidence by representatives of our nation. Given your vast experience, vice president office would certainly attain greater veneration, glory."

Election process

The Vice Presidential election takes place under a secret ballot system. The MPs are not bound by party whips to vote.

The electoral college for the VP election comprises a total of 788 members - 245 from the Rajya Sabha and 543 from the Lok Sabha. The 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to vote.

The present strength of the electoral college is 781 as six seats are vacant in the Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha. This set the majority mark at 391. The NDA has 425 MPs, while the Opposition has the backing of 324.