New Delhi: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee CP Radhakrishnan has been chosen as the country’s 15th Vice President, securing victory over the opposition INDIA bloc’s candidate, Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, in the election held on Tuesday.
According to the results announced by Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody, Radhakrishnan bagged 452 first-preference votes, while Justice Reddy received 300. 15 votes were deemed invalid. Out of 781 Members of Parliament, 767 cast their ballots, marking a turnout of 98.2 percent. 13 MPs abstained, including 7 from the Biju Janata Dal, four from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, one Shiromani Akali Dal member, and one independent.
The Vice President’s post had remained vacant since July 21, when Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down owing to health concerns.
Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan has had a long political and administrative career. Before being nominated for Vice President, he was serving as Governor of Maharashtra since July 2024. He previously held gubernatorial positions in Jharkhand, as well as additional charges for Telangana and Puducherry.
Radhakrishnan has twice represented Coimbatore in the Lok Sabha and earlier led the BJP in Tamil Nadu as its state president. His political roots trace back to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. In Parliament, he held important positions, including Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee.
Between 2016 and 2020, he headed the Coir Board under the Ministry of MSME, overseeing record-high coir exports. Later, from 2020 to 2022, he served as the BJP’s in-charge for Kerala.
An alumnus with a degree in Business Administration, Radhakrishnan is also known for his sporting interests, particularly in table tennis, cricket, and volleyball. Over the years, he has represented India in delegations to various countries across Asia, Europe, and North America.
With decades of experience in governance and politics, CP Radhakrishnan now takes charge as Vice President of India, a position that carries the dual role of Rajya Sabha Chairman and the country’s second-highest constitutional office.