CP Radhakrishnan to replace Jagdeep Dhankhar: Meet the new Vice President of India

NDA’s candidate CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday won the Vice Presidential election, defeating the INDIA bloc’s nominee, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, by a sweeping majority.

The NDA-backed candidate secured a clear majority in the election and won a total of 452 votes. By comparison, Dhankhar had won in 2022 with 528 votes, while Venkaiah Naidu claimed victory in 2017 with 516.

Polling for the election began at 10 a.m. in Parliament, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting the first vote of the day. Voting continued through the afternoon before counting commenced in the evening. The outcome, announced late on Tuesday, reflected the NDA’s numerical advantage in both Houses of Parliament.

Also Read: NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan defeats INDIA bloc's B Sudershan Reddy to win Vice Presidential poll

Radhakrishnan’s win was expected, with the NDA commanding support from well over the majority mark of 391 MPs. His margin over Justice Reddy has sent a message on the ruling bloc’s strength in Parliament, even as some regional parties chose to abstain from the contest.

Who is CP Radhakrishnan?
Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan has spent over four decades in public life and politics. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and began his career as an RSS swayamsevak, later joining the Bharatiya Janasangh in 1974 as a state executive member.

Also Read: VP Elections 2025: Who is Sudershan Reddy? Meet the INDIA bloc candidate who lost to NDA's Radhakrishnan

Radhakrishnan entered national politics as a BJP Member of Parliament from Coimbatore, elected in 1998 and 1999, and served on key parliamentary committees including the Standing Committee on Textiles and the Committee on Public Sector Undertakings. He was also part of the Special Parliamentary Committee probing the Stock Exchange Scam and represented India at the UN General Assembly in 2004.

At the state level, he served as President of BJP Tamil Nadu (2004–07), undertaking a 19,000 km Ratha Yatra over 93 days to promote causes like river linking, uniform civil code, eradication of untouchability, anti-terrorism measures, and anti-narcotics initiatives. Later, he was Chairman of the Coir Board, oversaw record export growth, served as All-India BJP in-charge for Kerala (2020–22), and held gubernatorial roles in Jharkhand, Telangana, Puducherry, and Maharashtra.

Known as a sports enthusiast, he was a college champion in table tennis, a long-distance runner, and enjoys cricket and volleyball. Radhakrishnan has also travelled extensively across Europe, Asia, and North America, reflecting a blend of grassroots activism, parliamentary experience, and administrative leadership.

The Political Battle: NDA vs INDIA Bloc
The Vice Presidential election Tuesday was marked by a significant contest between the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc.

Prior to the election, the NDA held a clear numerical advantage, with 427 MPs supporting Radhakrishnan—well above the majority mark of 391. In contrast, the INDIA bloc's candidate was backed by 354 MPs, comprising 249 in the Lok Sabha and 105 in the Rajya Sabha.

Several parties, including the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), chose to abstain from the election, further consolidating the NDA's lead.

The INDIA bloc positioned the election as an ideological battle, emphasising the need for a Vice President who would uphold democratic values and institutional independence. Justice Reddy's nomination was seen as a move to counterbalance the NDA's influence. However, the opposition's efforts were hampered by internal divisions and the NDA's overwhelming support base, as was suggested by MPs, politicians representing the ruling base.