NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee, was elected as India’s 15th Vice President, defeating Justice (Retd) B Sudershan Reddy of the Congress-led INDIA bloc. Rajya Sabha Secretary-General PC Mody announced that Radhakrishnan secured 452 first-preference votes, while Reddy garnered 300 in the Electoral College, which comprised 781 members of Parliament after accounting for six vacant Rajya Sabha seats and one Lok Sabha vacancy. The majority threshold was 391 votes.
Radhakrishnan, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Tamil Nadu and two-time Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore, succeeds Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned unexpectedly on July 21, 2025, citing health reasons. The election, held in Parliament, saw a 98.2% turnout, with 767 MPs voting. Of these, 752 votes were valid, and 15 were deemed invalid, per PC Mody’s statement to the press.
A seasoned politician, Radhakrishnan joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the 1970s and later became a key figure in the BJP, serving as Tamil Nadu unit president and chair of the Coir Board from 2016 to 2020. His tenure as Governor of Jharkhand, Telangana, and Puducherry showcased his administrative experience. Radhakrishnan also has a business background, holding a BBA degree and having pioneered cotton fabric exports to Bangladesh and other countries between 1985 and 1998.
The NDA’s numerical strength, backed by 425 MPs including YSR Congress Party support, ensured Radhakrishnan’s victory. The opposition, despite a spirited campaign, fell short of expectations, with some reports suggesting cross-voting by opposition MPs. Radhakrishnan’s election is seen as a strategic move by the BJP to bolster its presence in Tamil Nadu ahead of the state’s 2026 assembly polls. He is expected to assume his role as Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman soon, with an oath-taking ceremony likely on September 12, 2025.