CP Radhakrishnan - Vice President of India
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan has been elected as India’s 15th Vice President, securing 452 votes in a secret ballot conducted in Parliament today. The 68-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran from Tamil Nadu defeated the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc’s candidate, former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, who garnered 300 votes and as per reports, 15 ballots declared invalid and 13 MPs abstaining. The electoral college comprised of 781 members from both houses of Parliament.
The election to the second-highest constitutional office was held under the shadow of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s abrupt resignation on July 21 due to health concerns.
Radhakrishnan, often hailed as the “Vajpayee of Coimbatore” for his eloquence and dedication, will assume office imminently, succeeding Dhankhar and becoming only the third leader from Tamil Nadu to hold the post after VV Giri and R Venkataraman.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cast the first vote this morning, congratulated Radhakrishnan on social media, and said: “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.”
Born on May 4, 1957 in Ottapalam, Kerala, but raised in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan’s journey from a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) swayamsevak to the corridors of Rashtrapati Bhavan exemplifies grassroots commitment.
A commerce graduate from St Joseph’s College in Trichy, he honed his athletic prowess as a table tennis champion and long-distance runner during university days.
Joining the BJP in his youth, he rose through the ranks, serving as Tamil Nadu state president from 2004 to 2007. During this tenure, he led a remarkable 93-day Ratha Yatra covering 19,000 kilometres, advocating river interlinking, eradicating untouchability, and combating terrorism- initiatives that drew both acclaim and criticism from rivals like the DMK.
Elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore in 1998 and 1999, Radhakrishnan distinguished himself as a parliamentarian, nearly securing a cabinet berth under Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000 and again in Modi’s first term in 2014. From 2016 to 2020, he chaired the Coir Board, boosting the sector under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. His gubernatorial stints began in February 2023 as Jharkhand’s Governor, where he also administered Telangana and Puducherry at times, before moving to Maharashtra in July 2024.
Announced as the NDA nominee on August 17 by BJP president JP Nadda, Radhakrishnan’s selection was endorsed by allies including AIADMK, JD(U), TDP, and even non-NDA parties like YSRCP.
As Vice President and ex-officio Rajya Sabha Chairman, Radhakrishnan faces the task of navigating a polarised Upper House amid ongoing government-opposition tensions.
