VP polls: Rijiju 'thanks' some oppn MPs for voting for NDA pick; calls CPR 'humble and true patriot'

NEW DELHI: Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday "thanked" opposition MP's who voted for NDA's pick - CP Radhakrishnan - in the vice-presidential elections.In a social media post on X, said that some of the MPs from INDIA bloc voted with "conscience" and congratulated everyone who voted for Radhakrishnan."Special thanks to some MPs of- INDI Alliance who voted with 'Conscience' for NDA candidate CP Radhakrishan ji in the VP election," the Union minister said."NDA and All our friendly MPs remain united. Congratulations to everyone on electing a humble & efficient man and a true patriot as India's new Vice President," he added.This comes a day after C P Radhakrishnan was on Tuesday elected as the 15th Vice-President of India bagging 452 votes against the opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy's 300.Announcing the result, Rajya Sabha Secretary General and Returning Officer P C Mody said 767 MPs had cast their votes out of the total valid electors of 781. He said 752 ballots were valid and 15 were invalid, bringing down the required majority of first preference votes to 377.As the parties cannot issue whips in vice-presidential elections, it appears that INDIA bloc MPs cross-voted in favour of Radhakrishnan.BJP claimed that at least 15 opposition members voted for the NDA nominee as Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had earlier asserted that all 315 INDIA bloc MPs were in attendance for the vote.Since this was a secret ballot, so who all cast conscience vote may perhaps be not known. But the opposition did admit that it suffered a dent, though not a significant one.