C.P. Radhakrishnan Elected Vice President of India, Defeats I.N.D.I.A. Bloc Candidate

Delhi, Sept 2025 : NDA candidate and Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan has been elected as the new Vice President of India. He defeated the I.N.D.I.A. bloc nominee, former Supreme Court Judge B. Sudershan Reddy, by a margin of 152 votes.

Announcing the results after the counting process, Rajya Sabha Secretary General and Returning Officer P.C. Mody stated that of the 781 eligible electors, 767 Members of Parliament exercised their franchise. Among these, 752 votes were declared valid, while 15 were found invalid. Mody emphasized that the election was conducted in a free, fair, and orderly manner.

The election was necessitated by the resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who stepped down citing health reasons. Voting took place between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on election day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to cast his vote, followed by several senior Union Ministers including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda, Nitin Gadkari, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Prominent leaders such as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, JDS patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, NCP leader Praful Patel, and Hindustani Awam Morcha’s Jitan Ram Manjhi also participated in the voting. From the opposition side, senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, along with NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran, were among those who cast their ballots.

Born in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan began his political journey as a student leader. His early association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jan Sangh shaped his ideological foundation. A two-time Member of Parliament from Coimbatore, Radhakrishnan has served the public through various political and social initiatives.

Over the years, he has held key constitutional positions, including Governor of Jharkhand, Telangana, Puducherry, and most recently, Maharashtra. Known as an agriculturist and industrialist by profession, Radhakrishnan is widely respected for his integrity, vision, and unblemished public life.

With his election as the Vice President of India, Radhakrishnan will now preside over the Rajya Sabha, bringing with him decades of administrative and political experience. His elevation is seen as a continuation of his commitment to public service and his ability to bridge diverse political perspectives within Parliament.