NDA's CP Radhakrishnan is India's next Vice-President
BJP leaders are quick to claim that at least 15 Opposition MPs voted in favour of Radhakrishnan.
NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan was elected the next vice-president of India on Tuesday (September 9) as he bagged 452 votes against the Opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy's 300, winning the contest with a bigger-than-expected margin, indicating cross-voting from the rival camp.
Announcing the result of the vice-presidential election this evening, Rajya Sabha secretary general and returning officer P C Mody said 767 MPs cast their votes out of the total valid electors of 781 in a turnout of 98.2 per cent. He said 752 ballots were valid and 15 were invalid, bringing down the required majority of first preference votes to 377.
Though the victory of Radhakrishnan (67), currently the Maharashtra governor and a seasoned leader with an RSS background and decades-long stint first in the Jan Sangh and then the BJP in Tamil Nadu, was a foregone conclusion due to the ruling alliance's numerical edge but the extent of his victory margin is seen as a setback to the Opposition.
Opposition MPs cast invalid votes?
BJP leaders were quick to claim that at least 15 opposition MPs voted in favour of Radhakrishnan. There were hints from the ruling alliance that some Opposition MPs deliberately cast invalid votes.
"I declare C P Radhakrishnan elected to the post of Vice President of India and the results will be communicated to the Election Commission," Mody said.
BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal claimed that "nearly 40 opposition MPs" listened to the voice of their conscience and voted in "some manner" in support of the NDA candidate, showing a wider acceptance for him. His assertion of support from 40 opposition MPs appeared to include several invalid votes.
Some opposition leaders had appealed to MPs' conscience in the polls to support Reddy, and the senior BJP leader's comments were seen as a retort to them.
"Congratulations to Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji on winning the 2025 Vice Presidential election. His life has always been devoted to serving society and empowering the poor and marginalised," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X.
"I am confident that he will be an outstanding VP, who will strengthen our Constitutional values and enhance Parliamentary discourse," he said.
Radhakrishnan isIndia's 15th vice president when he is sworn in to the post.
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Live Updates
- 9 Sept 2025 8:10 PM IST
Celebrations erupt at BJP office in Chennai
Firecrackers lit up outside the BJP office in Chennai after NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan was declared elected as India’s next Vice-President.
- 9 Sept 2025 7:59 PM IST
Radhakrishnan’s win hints at cross-voting by Opposition MPs
Assuming that Radhakrishnan's additional votes include votes of all 11 MPs of YSRCP, who had announced their support for his candidature, as well as all 422 NDA votes, his 452 vote-tally suggests that over half a dozen Opposition MPs, whose parties were backing Reddy, have cross-voted.
- 9 Sept 2025 7:54 PM IST
Home Minister Amit Shah congratulates Radhakrishnan
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated CP Radhakrishnan on being elected Vice President, expressing confidence that his grassroots experience and administrative knowledge will strengthen parliamentary democracy and serve the marginalised.
- 9 Sept 2025 7:51 PM IST
Rajya Sabha Secretary-General announces election result
Rajya Sabha Secretary-General PC Mody announced, “NDA nominee and Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan secured 452 first-preference votes, electing him as the Vice-President of India. Opposition candidate Justice Sudershan Reddy received 300 first-preference votes.”
- 9 Sept 2025 7:48 PM IST
NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan wins vice-presidential polls
NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan emerged victorious in the vice-presidential election, following the counting of votes in the new Parliament building on Tuesday evening. The counting, overseen by Returning Officer and Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody, concluded late in the evening, confirming Radhakrishnan’s triumph in a contest against joint Opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy.
Out of 781, the current strength of electoral college, 767 MPs cast their votes, Radhakrishnan secured 452 votes as compared to 300 by Reddy. He secured at least additional 30 votes compared to the official NDA tally of 422. The number of votes declared invalid, expected to be all from the Opposition's ranks, is exactly the same as the 2022 VP poll figure -- 15. - 9 Sept 2025 6:54 PM IST
Watch | Exclusive: Inside CP Radhakrishnan’s ancestral home in Tiruppur
The Federal brings you an exclusive look inside the ancestral home of NDA’s vice presidential candidate CP Radhakrishnan in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu. From his childhood days in a traditional Tamil home to his rise as a two-time MP, BJP state president, UN delegate, and Governor, this special feature traces his decades-long public life. Relatives and friends recall his simplicity, discipline, and lifelong dedication to service, as he is now under the spotlight after being picked as the ruling alliance’s choice for the post of Vice-President of India.
- 9 Sept 2025 5:47 PM IST
All Oppn MPs voted, says Congress
The Opposition has stood united with all of its 315 MPs turning up to vote in the vice presidential polls, the Congress said on Tuesday as polling for the election to the top post ended.
Voting held on Tuesday to elect the new vice president. It is a direct contest between NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan and joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The Opposition has stood united. ALL of its 315 MPs have turned up for voting." "This is an unprecedented 100% turnout," he said on X.
Members of both Houses of Parliament cast their votes in the Parliament House between 10 am and 5 pm. Counting votes will begin at 6 pm, and the results will be announced late evening.
MPs in large numbers queued up in the new Parliament building since morning.
- 9 Sept 2025 5:20 PM IST
Voting concludes in Vice-Presidential elections: Report
Counting of votes is set to begin in the Vice-Presidential election as polling concludes, according to an India Today report.
Around 97 per cent voter turnout was reported in the contest between NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan and INDIA bloc’s B Sudershan Reddy
- 9 Sept 2025 5:08 PM IST
Inside NDA VP candidate CP Radhakrishnan’s ancestral home in Tiruppur
The Federal brings you an exclusive look inside the ancestral home of NDA’s vice presidential candidate CP Radhakrishnan in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu. From his childhood days in a traditional Tamil home to his rise as a two-time MP, BJP state president, UN delegate, and Governor, this special feature traces his decades-long public life. Relatives and friends recall his simplicity, discipline, and lifelong dedication to service, as he is now under the spotlight after being picked as the ruling alliance’s choice for the post of the Vice-President of India.
- 9 Sept 2025 5:01 PM IST
Opposition has a unique habit of celebrating even after defeat: Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar
On the Vice Presidential election, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar says, "There are always claims of the opposition, this is not new. There is a unique speciality in our opposition that even after losing, they celebrate... This time also, we will win, and they will be happy."
