CP Radhakrishnan wins VP race: Rooted in RSS, non-confrontational - meet new vice president of India

NEW DELHI: National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate, CP Radhakrishnan , was elected as India’s 15th Vice President after securing 452 votes in Tuesday’s election. His rival, Justice B Sudershan Reddy of the INDIA bloc won 300 votes while 13 Members of Parliament abstained.

The contest, held in Parliament House in New Delhi, came just weeks after the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on health grounds in July. Voting took place between 10am and 5pm, followed by counting in the evening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast the first ballot, with senior ministers including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and JP Nadda also voting. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among those representing the opposition.

The NDA’s numerical strength made Radhakrishnan’s victory almost certain.

Several parties chose to abstain from the voting. The Biju Janata Dal and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi abstained, while the Shiromani Akali Dal boycotted the poll.

Who is CP Radhakrishnan?

• Born on October, 20 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, he began as an RSS swayamsevak and joined the Bharatiya Janasangh in the 1970s.
• Twice elected MP from Coimbatore (1998, 1999), he chaired the Standing Committee on Textiles and served on finance and PSU committees. He was also part of delegations to the UN General Assembly and Taiwan.
• As BJP’s Tamil Nadu president (2004–2007), he led a 93-day, 19,000 km ‘Ratha Yatra’. Later, he became the party’s in-charge for Kerala (2020–2022).
• As Coir Board chairman (2016–2020), he oversaw record exports worth ?2,532 crore.
• Held gubernatorial roles in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Puducherry, where he was known for extensive outreach.
• Regarded as a seasoned organiser with over four decades in public life and deep roots in Tamil Nadu’s political fabric.