Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, the NDA candidate for Vice President, will take the seat of Jagdeep Dhankhar. The 68-year-old won the election today, securing 452 first preference votes. In comparison, the Opposition candidate, retired Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, received 300 votes. A total of 752 votes were cast. Mr. Radhakrishnan received 452 valid votes while Justice Reddy got 300.
CP Radhakrishnan win Vice President Elections
The voting results shows notable cross-voting, likely from Opposition MPs. At least 15 MPs are expected to have voted for the NDA candidate. While Congress claims that the 315 Opposition MPs stood united, the NDA celebrates this as evidence of divisions in the Opposition ahead of upcoming state elections. The NDA had 427 votes, with 11 MPs from YSR Congress supporting it. So, the NDA’s votes should have been capped at 438. However, Mr. Radhakrishnan received 452 votes, 14 more than expected.
What Congress Said
In response, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge congratulated the CP Radhakrishnan on X: “We hope the new Vice President-elect will uphold the highest ethos of Parliamentary traditions, ensuring equal space and dignity for the Opposition and not give in to pressures from the ruling party.”
“The Vice President, the second highest Constitutional office, must reflect independence, fairness, and strength in protecting democratic values,” he said.
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