NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan has been elected the next Vice President of India, defeating Opposition INDIA bloc candidate Justice (retd.) B Sudershan Reddy by 152 votes.
Out of 788 electors, 767 cast their votes, with the required majority set at 377. Radhakrishnan secured 452 first-preference votes, well above the quota, indicating cross-voting and support from several unaffiliated parties.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated him, expressing confidence that Radhakrishnan’s “grassroots leadership and deep administrative knowledge” would strengthen India’s parliamentary democracy.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended best wishes but urged him to ensure fairness. “We hope the new Vice President will uphold the highest ethos of Parliamentary traditions, ensuring equal space for the Opposition,” he said.
Accepting defeat, Sudershan Reddy said, “I humbly accept this outcome with faith in our democratic processes. The larger ideological battle continues with greater vigour.”
Opposition leaders also sought to highlight their improved performance. Congress MP Imraan Masood pointed out that the Opposition candidate secured 40% of the vote, compared to 26% in the previous election, calling it a sign of growing strength. Senior leader Jairam Ramesh described the result as a “moral and political defeat” for the BJP despite its numerical win.
The election was held after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation on July 21, a move that Kharge described as “still unexplained and unceremonious.”
With his victory, CP Radhakrishnan will now take over as the 16th Vice President of India.
