NDA candidate and Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan was on Tuesday elected 14th Vice President of India, comfortably defeating his rival INDIA bloc candidate and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy. Radhakrishnan polled 452 of the total 767 votes, while Reddy managed 300, a figure that showed cracks in the Opposition ranks due to cross-voting by some Opposition MPs.
The voting figures clearly show that there was considerable cross-voting from Opposition MPs even though the numbers were in Radhakrishnan’s favour before the election. After ballots were casted, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed Reddy would get 315 votes, 15 less than what Reddy had got ultimately.
Following his defeat, Reddy said he “humbly accepted” the outcome and wished Radhakrishnan the very best as he is set to take office.
“Today, the MPs have rendered their verdict in the election for the office of the Vice President of India. I humbly accept this outcome with an abiding faith in the democratic processes of our great Republic. This journey has been a profound honour, offering me the opportunity to stand for the values that have guided my life — constitutional morality, justice, and the dignity of every individual,” he said in a statement.
The former Supreme Court judge said while the result was not in his favour, the “ideological battle continues with ever greater vigour”.
“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. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the leaders of the Opposition parties who made me their joint candidate… I wish the Vice President-elect CP Radhakrishnan the very best as he embarks upon his tenure,” he further said.
Out of 788 eligible MPs, 767 exercised their franchise in the Vice Presidential election, marking a turnout of 98.2 per cent. As many as 752 votes were valid and 15 were invalid, Returning Officer PC Mody announced in a press conference.
Thirteen MPs abstained from voting, including seven from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), four from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), one from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and one independent MP.
The election comes 50 days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post on July 21 in a surprising move during the first day of the Monsoon Session, citing health reasons.
Radhakrishnan, 68, a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore and current Governor of Maharashtra. He belongs to the Gounder-Kongu Vellalar OBC community. On the other hand, Reddy, 79, a retired Supreme Court judge from Telangana, known for rulings against Salwa Judum and on black-money investigations.
Voting began at 10 am on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting the first ballot. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, along with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, BJP President JP Nadda, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, also voted. Polling concluded at 5 pm, and the counting of the ballots began at 6 pm.
The electoral college for the vice presidential election comprises 781 MPs (238 from Rajya Sabha and 542 from Lok Sabha; one Lok Sabha and six Rajya Sabha seats are currently vacant). With BRS and BJD abstaining, the effective strength is 770, with the majority mark at 386.
The NDA has 425 MPs and also got the support of the YSR Congress Party (11 MPs), taking its tally to 436. The INDIA bloc, meanwhile, is backed by 324 MPs.
Both Radhakrishnan and Reddy expressed confidence in winning. Reddy said he was “trying to awaken people’s conscience,” while Radhakrishnan called the contest a victory for “Indian nationalism” and the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat‘ (developed India).
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
– Ends
Published By:
Shipra Parashar
Published On:
Sep 9, 2025
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