NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan defeats INDIA bloc's B Sudershan Reddy to win Vice Presidential poll

NDA candidate and Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday defeated INDIA bloc's B Sudershan Reddy to become the next Vice President of India.

The NDA-backed candidate secured a clear majority in the election and won a total of 452 votes. By comparison, Dhankhar had won in 2022 with 528 votes, while Venkaiah Naidu claimed victory in 2017 with 516.

A total of 767 votes were cast in Vice Presidential polls, of which 752 were valid and 15 were invalid.


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Polling took place in Parliament House between 10 am and 5 pm under the secret ballot system, while counting of votes began at 6 pm. The Election Commission had appointed the Returning Officer on a rotational basis to oversee the process.

The election for the 15th VP of the nation was triggered after Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down in July, citing health concerns.

Numbers always favoured NDA
On paper, the arithmetic always leaned towards Radhakrishnan.

The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college comprising 233 elected Rajya Sabha members (five seats vacant), 12 nominated Rajya Sabha members, and 543 Lok Sabha members (one seat vacant) — a total of 788, though only 781 MPs are currently eligible to vote.

The NDA enjoys the backing of around 439 MPs, further bolstered by support from the YSR Congress Party. With BJD and BRS deciding to abstain from the polling process, his path likely became smoother.

Reddy, meanwhile, secured votes not only from the INDIA bloc but also from AAP, which had recently parted ways with the Opposition alliance.

As the nation’s new second-highest constitutional authority, Radhakrishnan will now preside over the Rajya Sabha as its Chairman, overseeing proceedings and upholding parliamentary protocol, and also assumes the role of Acting President whenever the presidency is vacant or the incumbent is unable to perform their duties.

The process of electing India’s Vice President is laid down in Articles 64 and 68 of the Constitution. The Election Commission conducts and announces these polls under the framework of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.