C.P. Radhakrishnan Elected as India’s 15th Vice President

Updated: 10 Sep 2025

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C.P. Radhakrishnan Elected as India’s 15th Vice President

NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan was elected as the 15th Vice President, defeating opposition party India Bloc’s B. Sudarshan Reddy. The 67-year-old Radhakrishnan, who was serving as Maharashtra Governor, became the third leader from Tamil Nadu to occupy the second-highest constitutional post.

NDA candidate and Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan will be India’s new Vice President. He defeated India Bloc’s candidate and former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy by a margin of 152 votes.

Votes received

After the counting of votes in the Vice Presidential election, Rajya Sabha Secretary and Returning Officer P.C. Modi informed journalists that out of 781 voters under 98.2% voting, 767 MPs cast their votes. Mr. Modi said that out of 767 votes, 752 were found valid and 15 declared invalid.
NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan won the Vice Presidential election on 9 September 2025 by securing 452 votes, while opposition candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy received 300 votes, the Returning Officer P.C. Modi informed.
The electoral college for the Vice Presidential election consists of 788 members – 245 from Rajya Sabha and 543 from Lok Sabha. 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to vote in the election.
This election was held after former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhad resigned citing health reasons. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first among the voting members to cast his vote.

About C.P. Radhakrishnan

Born on 20 October 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandpuram Ponnusami Radhakrishnan began his journey as a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He won the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat by a large margin in 1998 and 1999.
He started actively participating in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and RSS at the age of 17. His long political career began in 1974 when he was elected to the state executive committee of Jana Sangh, marking his official political debut.
C.P. Radhakrishnan has held important parliamentary positions such as State BJP President, Chairman of Coir Board, and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Textiles.
He is also known for his organizational work and organized a 93-day ‘Rath Yatra’ across Tamil Nadu before becoming the BJP in-charge of Kerala. Radhakrishnan was also the Tamil Nadu BJP State President from 2004 to 2007.
Radhakrishnan served as Governor of Jharkhand from February 2023 to July 2024. From March to July 2024, he served as Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
On 31 July 2024, Radhakrishnan assumed office as Governor of Maharashtra. With nearly four decades of political experience, he is known as an experienced BJP leader with deep roots in Tamil Nadu.

Key facts related to India’s Vice President

India’s first Vice President was Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, elected on 13 May 1952, two years after the Constitution of India came into effect (26 January 1950).
Krishnakant was India’s first and only Vice President to die during his term. He served as India’s 10th Vice President from 21 August 1997 to 27 July 2002.
56 years before Jagdeep Dhankhad’s surprising resignation from the Vice President post, India saw its first Vice Presidential resignation in 1969. After the sudden death of President Zakir Husain in May 1969, Vice President V.V. Giri resigned to contest the presidential election.

Constitutional provisions related to the Vice President

Term and vacancy: According to Article 67, the term of the Vice President is five years. According to Article 68(2), in case of vacancy, an election must be held as soon as possible.
Electoral college: It includes members (elected and nominated) of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The requirement of a joint session of Parliament for the Vice Presidential election was abolished by the Constitution (11th Amendment) Act, 1961.
Voting system: Under Article 66(1), the election is conducted by proportional representation through a single transferable vote and secret ballot.
Authority: ECI conducts the election using powers under Article 324 and the President and Vice President Elections Act, 1952.

Vice Presidential election process

Nomination: A candidate requires 20 proposers and 20 seconders. A deposit of Rs. 15,000 is mandatory.
Voting: Voting is held in the Parliament House using a special pen provided by ECI. First preference voting is compulsory.
Supervision: ECI appoints a Returning Officer (Secretary of Rajya Sabha) and observers.

Key security measures in the election

Violation of confidentiality or use of unauthorized pen invalidates the vote.
Under the President and Vice President Elections Act, 1952, bribery or undue influence can be grounds to challenge the election.