NEW DELHI – In the Vice Presidential election, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan defeated opposition candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy by a massive margin of 152 votes. Radhakrishnan secured 452 first preference votes, while Reddy received 300.
The results were announced by Rajya Sabha Secretary-General and Returning Officer P.C. Modi, who stated that a total of 767 votes were cast, including one postal ballot, out of the 781-member electoral college. The voter turnout was 98.2 percent, with 15 votes declared invalid. “I hereby declare C.P. Radhakrishnan as the elected Vice President of India,” Modi announced.
Congratulations from Leaders
President Droupadi Murmu extended her congratulations to Radhakrishnan, expressing confidence that his vast experience in public life would significantly contribute to the nation’s progress. “Congratulations to Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan on being elected the Vice President of India! Your decades of rich experience in public life will make a significant contribution to the nation’s progress. I wish you a successful and impactful tenure,” she posted on the social media platform ‘X’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Radhakrishnan, noting his dedication to public service and empowering the poor. “Congratulations to Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan on winning the 2025 Vice Presidential election. His life has always been dedicated to public service and to empowering the poor and the weak. I am confident that he will be an excellent Vice President, strengthening our constitutional values and advancing parliamentary dialogue,” Modi wrote on ‘X’.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated Radhakrishnan, saying his vision and deep administrative understanding would help bring out the best in India’s parliamentary democracy.
Opposition’s Stance
In response to the election results, the Congress party claimed that while the BJP won the election numerically, it suffered a moral and political defeat. Party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh noted that the opposition remained united and achieved a respectable performance. “The opposition remained united in the Vice Presidential election. Its performance has undoubtedly been very respectable. Its joint candidate, Justice (Retd) B. Sudarshan Reddy, received 40 percent of the votes. In the 2022 Vice Presidential election, the opposition had secured 26 percent of the votes,” Ramesh posted on ‘X’.
He also claimed that all 315 opposition MPs participated in the voting, affirming the unity of the opposition bloc. Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had decided to abstain from the election. The electoral college for the 17th Vice Presidential election included 781 members from both houses of Parliament.
