New Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday hinted at possible cross-voting by opposition MPs in the recently concluded Vice Presidential election, where NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan emerged victorious. Taking a subtle swipe at the opposition, Rijiju appreciated members of the INDIA bloc who “voted with conscience” in favor of the NDA candidate.
“Special thanks to some MPs of the INDIA Alliance who voted with ‘Conscience’ for NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan in the Vice Presidential election. NDA and all our friendly MPs remain united. Congratulations to everyone on electing a humble and efficient man and a true patriot as India’s new Vice President,” Rijiju wrote in a post on X.
BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh also suggested that cross-voting played a role in the outcome, noting that the opposition’s candidate received 15 fewer votes than their total strength. “Voting happened through ballot papers, and the INDIA Alliance got 15 votes less than their number. The INDIA Alliance leaders had campaigned for conscience vote. They got it in return,” Santhosh posted on X.
On the other hand, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh defended the opposition’s performance, calling it “respectable.” He pointed out that their candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy secured 40% of the votes, a significant improvement from the 26% vote share the opposition received in the 2022 Vice Presidential polls.
“The Opposition stood united for the Vice Presidential election. Its performance has undeniably been most respectable. Its joint candidate Justice (retd) B. Sudershan Reddy secured 40% of the vote. In 2022, the Opposition had received 26% of the vote,” Ramesh posted on X. He further added, “The BJP’s arithmetical victory is really both a moral and political defeat. The ideological battle continues undiminished.”
In the election results, CP Radhakrishnan defeated Justice Reddy by 152 votes, securing 452 first preference votes compared to 300 for Reddy. Fifteen votes were declared invalid, according to Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody.
The Vice President’s post had been vacant since July 21, 2025, following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who cited health reasons for stepping down.
