CP Radhakrishnan elected Vice President of India; Opposition vows to continue ‘ideological battle’

NEW DELHI: Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, the NDA nominee and Maharashtra Governor, was on Tuesday elected as the 15th Vice President of India after securing 452 first-preference votes. Opposition candidate Justice (retd.) B Sudershan Reddy polled 300 votes, secretary-general of Rajya Sabha and Returning Officer PC Mody announced.Mody said that out of 788 electors, 767 cast their votes, with the required quota being 377. “As CP Radhakrishnan secured 452 first-preference votes, I declare him duly elected as the Vice President of India,” he said.Radhakrishnan declared winnerUnion home minister Amit Shah congratulated the Vice President-elect, saying, “I firmly believe that your sagacity as a leader who has risen from the grassroots and your profound knowledge of administration will help us bring out the best in our parliamentary democracy to serve the marginalised.”Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended best wishes to Radhakrishnan but also urged him to ensure fairness. “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,” Kharge said.Opposition reactionJustice (retd.) B Sudershan Reddy, who lost the contest, issued a statement accepting the verdict. “I humbly accept this outcome with an abiding faith in the democratic processes of our great Republic. Though the result is not in my favour, the larger cause we have collectively sought to advance remains undiminished. The ideological battle continues with ever greater vigour,” he said, while extending best wishes to Radhakrishnan.Congress MP Imraan Masood noted the Opposition’s improved performance. “There has been a 14% increase in votes secured by this candidate as compared to the last candidate. This candidate received 40% of the total votes, compared to 26% secured earlier. The Opposition is only gaining; there will be a change,” he said.Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also framed the outcome as a moral setback for the BJP. “The Opposition stood united for the Vice Presidential election. Its joint candidate secured 40% of the vote. The BJP’s arithmetical victory is really both a moral and political defeat. The ideological battle continues undiminished,” he posted on X.Kharge further reminded that the election was necessitated by Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation on July 21. “Shri Jagdeep Dhankar resigned suddenly on the very day he chaired the opening of the Monsoon Session, an exit still unexplained and unceremonious. As we move forward, transparency, accountability, and respect for Constitutional positions must guide our institutions,” he said.Next stepsRadhakrishnan, who is deeply rooted in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party, will succeed Dhankhar to become the third leader from Tamil Nadu to hold the office of Vice President.