VP Elections 2025: Who is Sudershan Reddy? Meet the INDIA bloc candidate who lost to NDA's Radhakrishnan

B. Sudarshan Reddy lost the Vice-Presidential election on Tuesday to NDA nominee and Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, who was elected as India’s Vice President with 452 first preference votes.

A total of 767 votes were cast, of which 752 were valid and 15 were invalid, according to Returning Officer PC Mody, Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha. The Opposition’s candidate, Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy, received 300 first preference votes.

Polling began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting the first vote. Early voters also included Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Kiren Rijiju, along with Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Harivansh, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, and SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav.


Read more: CP Radhakrishnan to replace Jagdeep Dhankhar: Meet the new Vice President of India

In the Vice-Presidential election, Members of Parliament are not bound by party whips, and voting takes place under a secret ballot system, allowing MPs to vote independently. The results offered insight into the support base of both the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc in Parliament.

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

Who is B Sudarshan Reddy?

Born in 1946 in Telangana to an agricultural family, Justice Reddy graduated in law from Osmania University before beginning his practice in Hyderabad.

He handled civil and High Court matters, also serving as a government pleader and legal adviser to Osmania University.

His judicial career gathered momentum with his appointment as a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 1995, followed by his elevation as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in 2005.

In 2007, he rose to the Supreme Court of India, where he served until 2011. Post-retirement, he was appointed Goa’s first Lokayukta and continues to contribute as a trustee at the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre in Hyderabad.

Polling day in Parliament

Voting for the Vice-Presidential election took place in Parliament under a secret ballot from 10 am to 5 pm, with counting beginning immediately afterwards.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to cast his vote, followed by senior Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal. Other prominent MPs, including Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut and SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, also exercised their vote.

Since MPs are not bound by party whips in this election, voting reflected the actual support base and influence of the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc inside Parliament, making the contest a telling indicator of the current political balance.