On September 9, 2025, C.P. Radhakrishnan was elected the 17th Vice-President of India defeating the Opposition nominee Justice B. Sudershan Reddy by a tally of 152 votes. The nominee of the NDA (Radhakrishnan) won 452 first-preferential votes and Reddy won 300 votes. The vote turnout was good as the members of Parliament had a voter turnout of 98.2 percent. The outcomes depict a triumph of the nationalistic ideology as argued by Radhakrishnan, even though there was cross-voting and the Opposition alleged to have won the battle on moral grounds.
Key Points in Detail
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Election Procedure and Election Results.
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Electoral College: consists of 788 electors (including members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha).
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Votes Cast: 767 electors cast their votes, 14 abstentions and 15 invalid votes.
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Radhakrishnan Vote- 452 first-preferential votes.
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Votes of Reddy: He cast 300 votes on the Opposition candidate Justice B. Sudershan Reddy.
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Margin: the two candidates have a 152 vote difference.
Cross-Voting and Claims
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The NDA candidate is reported to have won more votes and 15-40 Opposition MPs were reported to have crossed over to Radhakrishnan.
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The Opposition, however, insisted that the outcome of joint candidate was a moral victory, with 40% in the vote, in comparison to 26% in 2022 Vice-Presidential election.
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Claiming that 15 Opposition MPs had cast their votes in favor of Radhakrishnan, the BJP MPs denied the claim by Congress.
Radhakrishnan’s Background
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Charming figure: The amiable, approachable leader and politically neutral image of Coimbatore made him the Vajpayee of the town.
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BJP/RSS: Becoming a member at a young age, BJP Tamil Nadu Chief (20042007) of RSS.
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Lok Sabha Tenure: elected to Lok Sabha twice (1998, 1999) in Coimbatore.
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Governor: Appointed Governor of Jharkhand (2023) and Maharashtra (2024), with some extra responsibilities in Telangana and Puducherry.
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Reputation: It has been said that he is an expert on cutting across political lines, just like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, though Tamil Nadu is a relatively weak state to BJP.
Political Importance and Future Usage.
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NDA’s pick: He is perceived to be a dependable option as Vice-President because of his non-partisan reputation, experience in administration and his success in bridging Tamil Nadu.
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The Parliament is expected to perform a unifying role in the Rajya Sabha and guarantee smooth operation of the Parliament, which complies with the constitutional values.
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Political rhetoric: His triumph was adapted to be a triumph of nationalism and development which was an ideological triumph to the ruling alliance.
Governments Response.
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PM Narendra Modi congratulated Radhakrishnan, citing his efforts to serve to the society and empower the marginalised.
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President of the Congress Mallikarjun Kharge released a congratulatory letter to Radhakrishnan and stressed that the Opposition had scored a moral victory.
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Justice Reddy took the result gracefully and emphasized the need to be able to talk, disagree and be involved in a democracy.
Conclusion
The election of C.P.Radhakrishnan as the Vice-President of India is a triumph of the NDA and that too in the light of the nationalistic ideology that has influenced political discourse in the present times. Radhakrishnan is likely to be a successful manager of the Rajya Sabha with his people-friendly, conciliatory nature, which brings about the parliamentary good manners and inclusiveness. This is because of his background and his capacity to cross party lines that make him a key figure in the political scene in India. In the case of UPSC, his election is a prime example of political leadership, electoral policy and the dynamics of national politics.
