CP Radhakrishnan’s VP Win Raises Questions on Opposition Unity, Hints at Cross-Voting

NDA candidate C. P. Radhakrishnan was elected as the 15th Vice-President of India on Tuesday, securing 452 votes against opposition candidate B. Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes. Announcing the results, Rajya Sabha Secretary-General and Returning Officer P. C. Mody stated that out of 781 eligible electors, 767 MPs cast their votes. Of these, 752 ballots were valid while 15 were invalid, setting the required majority of first-preference votes at 377.

Radhakrishnan’s victory in the Vice-President race was largely expected, given his clear numerical advantage over Reddy. Yet, the final results still drew significant attention. Since VP elections are conducted without a party whip, there was room for cross-voting, which had raised hopes in the opposition camp. Even if an outright win seemed unlikely, they counted on a “conscience vote” to sway some NDA MPs and embarrass the ruling side. The strategy of fielding a Telugu candidate was carefully designed to this end—but, as the final results revealed, it backfired.

Instead of NDA MPs breaking ranks, it was the INDIA bloc members who appeared to follow their “conscience.” The vote count even indicates some cross-voting in favour of Radhakrishnan.

The BJP, having quietly ensured that all leaders within the ruling alliance backed the NDA candidate, was quick to mock the opposition’s pre-election claims of unity. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju noted, “Many opposition parties have also voted for our NDA candidate. This is a very good sign.” The BJP even claimed that at least 15 opposition MPs supported the NDA nominee.

Earlier, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had asserted that all 315 INDIA bloc MPs were present for the vote. “The Opposition has stood united. ALL 315 MPs have turned up for voting. This is an unprecedented 100% turnout,” he tweeted.

Since the election was conducted via secret ballot, the exact number of MPs who cast a “conscience vote” remains unclear. However, the opposition did acknowledge that its ranks suffered a minor dent, though nothing substantial.

“There has been a 14% increase in votes for the opposition candidate, B. Sudershan Reddy, compared to the previous election. He secured 40% of the total votes, up from 26% last time. This shows the opposition is gaining ground and change is coming… The NDA could not inflict any significant damage,” said Congress MP Imran Masood.

However, with Reddy securing just 300 votes, the shortfall of 15 sparked debate. BJP leader Amit Malviya was quick to seize on this. Responding to Jairam Ramesh’s post after the results, he wrote: “All 315 voted… but for whom is the real question! Despite all the noise and bravado, the INDIA Alliance candidate managed only 300 votes—15 short of their confident claim. So much for grand claims and unity!”

Jairam Ramesh, however, mounted a strong defence, highlighting that the opposition had performed better than in the previous election. “The opposition’s performance has been highly respectable. Our joint candidate, Justice (retd) B. Sudershan Reddy, secured 40% of the vote, up from 26% in the 2022 vice-presidential elections,” Ramesh said. “While the BJP may have won arithmetically, it is both a moral and political setback for them. The ideological battle continues, undiminished,” he added.

Despite these assertions, the reality is that the opposition once again delivered a lackluster performance. While 15 votes were declared invalid, this does not account for the decline in the INDIA bloc’s overall tally. Additionally, the voting behaviour of AAP members, who had pledged support to Reddy, remains unclear.

Thus, while Radhakrishnan’s victory was expected, his larger-than-anticipated margin is a clear concern for the opposition. It underscores that they remain far from achieving the unity they had claimed.

Also Read: CP Radhakrishnan Wins VP Election Amid Opposition’s ‘Battle of Ideologies’ Claim