Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and senior Union ministers on Tuesday congratulated CP Radhakrishnan on being elected the Vice President of India. The veteran BJP leader, who contested as the NDA candidate, defeated Opposition nominee B Sudershan Reddy by securing 452 votes against 300.
On X, Prime Minister Modi posted: “Congratulations to Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji on winning the 2025 Vice Presidential election. His life has always been devoted to serving society and empowering the poor and marginalised. I am confident that he will be an outstanding VP, who will strengthen our Constitutional values and enhance Parliamentary discourse.”
President Murmu wrote: “Congratulations to Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan on being elected as the Vice President of India! Your decades of rich experience in public life will contribute significantly to the nation’s progress. I extend my best wishes to you for a successful and impactful tenure.”
Congress President and LoP in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, also congratulated CP Radhakrishnan on winning the 2025 Vice Presidential election.
“Best wishes to C.P. Radhakrishnan on securing victory in the Vice Presidential election. We extend our sincere gratitude to B. Sudershan Reddy garu, the united Opposition’s joint candidate, for his spirited and principled fight. This was more than an election; it was a battle of ideology, reaffirming that governments with authoritarian tendencies must be checked to protect our Constitution and Democracy. We hope the new Vice President-elect will uphold the highest ethos of Parliamentary traditions, ensuring equal space and dignity for the Opposition, and not succumb to pressures of the ruling dispensation,” he wrote.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended his wishes: “Congratulations to Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan Ji on being elected as the Vice President of India. I firmly believe that your sagacity as a leader who has risen from the grassroots of the society and profound knowledge about administration will help us in bringing out the best in our parliamentary democracy to serve the marginalised. I extend my warmest wishes to you for your journey as the custodian of the sanctity of the Upper House.”
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated: “Heartiest Congratulations to Shri @CPRGuv Ji on being elected as the Vice-President of India. His long-standing public service, commitment to democratic values, and vision for the nation will undoubtedly enrich the august office he now assumes, while also strengthening India’s voice both within the country and on global platforms. Wishing him wisdom and strength in this distinguished responsibility towards the progress of our nation.”
Sudershan Reddy Accepts Verdict
B Sudershan Reddy, fielded by the INDIA alliance, accepted the outcome with what he described as “abiding faith” in India’s democracy.
In a detailed statement, he said, “Today, the MPs have rendered their verdict in the election for the office of the Vice President of India. I humbly accept this outcome with an abiding faith in the democratic processes of our great Republic. This journey has been a profound honour, offering me the opportunity to stand for the values that have guided my life constitutional morality, justice, and the dignity of every individual. Though the result is not in my favour, the larger cause we have collectively sought to advance remains undiminished. The ideological battle continues with ever greater vigour.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the leaders of the Opposition parties who made me their joint candidate. Our democracy is strengthened not by victory alone, but by the spirit of dialogue, dissent, and participation. I remain committed, as a citizen, to upholding the ideals of equality, fraternity, and liberty that bind us together. May our Constitution continue to be the guiding light of our national life. I wish the Vice President-elect Shri CP Radhakrishnan the very best as he embarks upon his tenure.”
High Turnout and Election Highlights
The polling process witnessed a turnout of over 98 per cent. Out of 781 MPs eligible to vote, 12 did not cast their ballots. The majority mark stood at 391. With the NDA commanding 425 MPs compared to the Opposition bloc’s 324, Radhakrishnan had a clear edge.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said all 315 INDIA alliance MPs turned up to vote, calling it an “unprecedented 100 per cent turnout.”
Prime Minister Modi was among the first to cast his ballot in Room No. 101, Vasudha, inside the new Parliament building, before leaving for a visit to flood-hit Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Other early voters included Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Kiren Rijiju, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jitendra Singh, and L Murugan. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav, and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda — who arrived in a wheelchair — were also seen exercising their franchise.
In a striking moment, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge walked hand in hand to the polling booth. Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid, currently lodged in Tihar jail in a terror funding case, was brought in police custody to vote following a court order.
