National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee and BJP leader CP Radhakrishnan was on Tuesday elected as the 15th Vice President of India after securing a clear majority in Parliament. He defeated Opposition-backed candidate Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy by 152 votes.
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Margin of Victory in a High-Turnout Election
Voting took place in Parliament House from 10 am to 5 pm, followed by counting. Out of 781 eligible MPs, 767 voted, marking a 98.2% turnout. According to Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody, Radhakrishnan received 452 first-preference votes while Reddy secured 300. Fifteen votes were declared invalid and one MP used postal ballot. With this victory, Radhakrishnan formally succeeds Jagdeep Dhankhar, who stepped down earlier due to health issues.
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Celebrations and Political Significance
Soon after the results, celebrations began at Union Minister Prahlad Joshi’s residence, where Radhakrishnan joined supporters. South Indian musicians with traditional instruments marked the occasion. Sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior NDA leaders were expected to visit to congratulate the newly elected Vice President. His elevation comes at a time when the BJP is looking to strengthen its presence in southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, his home state.
A Long Journey in Public Life
Born in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan began his political career with the Jan Sangh and RSS at the age of 17. He was elected MP from Coimbatore twice, in 1998 and 1999, during the BJP-AIADMK alliance. Over the decades, he held key roles, including Tamil Nadu BJP president, where he launched a 93-day, 19,000 km “rath yatra” highlighting social and environmental issues. In recent years, he served as Governor of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Telangana, and also as Lt. Governor of Puducherry.
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