Senior BJP leader and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee CP Radhakrishnan has been elected as the next Vice President of India, securing a decisive victory in the election necessitated by the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar.
According to the official figures released by Rajya Sabha Secretary-General PC Mody, who served as the returning officer, a total of 767 lawmakers cast their votes in the election. Out of these, 752 votes were declared valid, while 15 were invalid. The majority mark required for a win was fixed at 377 votes.
Radhakrishnan comfortably crossed the threshold, securing 452 votes in his favour. His rival, the INDIA bloc’s candidate, managed to garner 300 votes.
Polling for the high-stakes election was conducted on Tuesday at Room No. F-101, Vasudha, Parliament House, between 10 am and 5 pm. The proceedings remained smooth, with lawmakers from across the political spectrum exercising their franchise.
The Opposition, which projected the election as an “ideological battle” between two political narratives, fell short of the numbers, as the NDA held a clear numerical advantage in Parliament.
Interestingly, several key regional parties, including the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), chose to abstain from voting. Leaders from these outfits said their decision reflected a focus on state-centric agendas and a desire to maintain equidistance from both the NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc.
With this victory, CP Radhakrishnan is set to assume office as India’s 14th Vice President, a constitutional post that also makes him the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. His election consolidates the NDA’s hold over key constitutional offices, coming at a politically significant juncture ahead of upcoming state and national elections.
Read More: Is India a Debt-Free Nation?
