The ruling NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday won the 17th Vice President of India elections by bagging 452 of the 767 valid votes cast, with the opposition nominee B Sudarshan Reddy managing 300 votes.
Evidence of cross-voting was evident as Maharashtra Governor Radhakrishnan won nearly 25 votes more than the NDA’s calculation of 427 MPs. Reddy on the other hand won 300 votes as against the opposition’s calculation of 315 votes. MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha make up the electoral college for the election.
Radhakrishnan was supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal United (JDU), Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Janata Dal Secular (JDS) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), among others.
Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP also voted in favour of Radhakrishnan. On the other hand, Reddy got the support of Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Left parties, among others.
Several parties, including Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), abstained from voting. Radhakrishnan was expected to receive 437 votes but received 452, against Reddy’s 300, who was certain to get at least 324.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast the first vote in the election earlier in the day in the polling booth in Room Number 10 in the Parliament complex. He was accompanied by Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jitendra Singh and L Murugan.
Opposition nominee B Sudershan Reddy humbly accepted the outcome of the Vice Presidential election, expressing his unwavering faith in the democratic processes of India. Despite the result not being in his favor, Reddy emphasised that the ideological battle would continue with even greater vigor.
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan on his election as the Vice President of India, acknowledging his decades of rich experience in public life. She expressed confidence that his leadership will contribute significantly to the nation’s progress and extended her best wishes for a successful and impactful tenure.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Thiru C.P. Radhakrishnan on his victory in the 2025 Vice Presidential election, praising his lifelong commitment to serving society, especially empowering the poor and marginalised. Modi expressed confidence that Radhakrishnan will be an exceptional Vice President, further strengthening India’s Constitutional values and enriching Parliamentary discourse.
Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, congratulated C.P. Radhakrishnan on his victory in the 2025 Vice Presidential election. In his message, Kharge also expressed gratitude to B. Sudershan Reddy, the combined Opposition’s joint candidate, for his principled fight.
