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NEW DELHI: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate CP Radhakrishnan emerged victorious on Tuesday in a closely-contested vice-presidential election. While Radhakrishnan got 452 votes, the Opposition’s candidate, Justice B Sudershan Reddy, was backed by 300 MPs.PC Mody, secretary-general, Rajya Sabha, said, “NDA nominee and Maharashtra governor CP Radhakrishnan got 452 first preference votes. He has been elected as the vice president of India… Opposition’s vice-presidential candidate Justice Sudershan Reddy secured 300 first preference votes.”PC Mody also informed that a total of 767 votes were cast in the polls, 752 were valid, and 15 were invalidBiju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) abstained from the vice presidential elections.The poll witnessed a direct contest between Radhakrishnan and Reddy, with the ruling NDA having a clear edge in the poll necessitated due to the sudden resignation of former vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar in July.Members of Parliament are not bound by party whips to vote in the vice presidential election, which takes place under a secret ballot system.The voting for the vice presidential election began on Tuesday morning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi exercising his franchise first, along with other prominent ministers and MPs.
