PM Modi Meets VP Elect Radhakrishnan
New Delhi: C P Radhakrishnan, backed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), was elected as the 15th Vice President of India, defeating the INDIA bloc nominee Justice B Sudershan Reddy by a margin of 152 votes.
The Vice Presidential elections saw a high voter turnout of 98.20%, with 767 out of 781 MPs casting their votes. Radhakrishnan received 452 first preference votes, while Reddy garnered 300, with 15 votes deemed invalid. Notably, 13 MPs abstained from voting, including members from various regional parties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Vice President-elect CP Radhakrishnan in New Delhi immediately after the declaration of results by the returning officer. PM Modi congratulated Radhakrishnan on his election as Vice President. PM Modi was also joined by Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Pralhad Joshi and JP Nadda.
The Vice President’s position had been vacant since July 21, 2025, following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar due to health issues. Radhakrishnan, who previously served as the Governor of Maharashtra and Jharkhand, has a long political career, including two terms as an MP from Coimbatore. He has held various significant roles within the BJP and has been involved in initiatives such as a 19,000 km ‘Rath Yatra’ aimed at addressing key national issues.
In addition to his political achievements, Radhakrishnan has a background in sports, having been a college champion in table tennis, and has traveled extensively internationally. His tenure as Chairman of the Coir Board saw record coir exports, highlighting his contributions to both politics and economic development.
