NDA candidate and former Governor of Maharashtra, C.P. Radhakrishnan, becomes the 15th Vice President. He defeated India Bloc candidate B. Sudhakar Reddy. Radhakrishnan received 452 votes, while Reddy secured 300 votes.
New Delhi: C.P. Radhakrishnan, the NDA's candidate and former Governor of Maharashtra, took the oath as the 15th Vice President on Friday. President Droupadi Murmu and outgoing Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar were also present at the oath-taking ceremony. Radhakrishnan defeated B. Sudhakar Reddy, a former Supreme Court Justice and the India Bloc's candidate. With this victory, the NDA once again demonstrated its strength.
Easy Victory in Elections, Opposition Appears Divided
In this Vice Presidential election, C.P. Radhakrishnan secured 452 votes, while his opponent B. Sudhakar Reddy received 300 votes. The voting results clearly indicated that the NDA received support not only from its alliance partners but also from within the opposition camp. Cross-voting further exposed the cracks within the India Bloc. Radhakrishnan's victory was considered certain even before the elections, given the NDA's pre-existing b numerical advantage.
NDA Already Had the Majority
On paper, the NDA had the support of 427 Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. Additionally, 11 MPs from the YSR Congress Party and several smaller parties also lent their support to Radhakrishnan, enabling him to comfortably surpass the majority mark of 377 votes. The opposition lacked sufficient numbers, and the emergence of reports of cross-voting made the outcome even more evident.
Reason for the Sudden Election
The election for the Vice President had to be conducted suddenly because the incumbent Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar, resigned from his post on July 21, citing health reasons. Although Dhankhar's term was still ongoing, it became necessary to hold a fresh election immediately. For this reason, the NDA nominated C.P. Radhakrishnan, the Governor of Maharashtra, as their candidate, and he emerged victorious to become the Vice President.
Resigned from the Post of Governor of Maharashtra
Following his election victory, C.P. Radhakrishnan resigned from his post as the Governor of Maharashtra on Thursday. President Droupadi Murmu has temporarily assigned the additional charge of Maharashtra to Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, in his place. He will fulfill this responsibility until a new appointment is made.
Radhakrishnan's Long Political Career
The political journey of 67-year-old C.P. Radhakrishnan has been exceptionally long and active. He has served as a two-time Member of Parliament from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, he has also been the President of the Tamil Nadu BJP. His political career began with the Jan Sangh, and he later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Radhakrishnan also has deep roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and has been active at the organizational level.
