Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate CP Radhakrishnan was elected the next Vice-President of India on September 9 bagging 452 votes against the Opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy’s 300, winning the contest with a bigger-than-expected margin.
The victory of Radhakrishnan (67), currently the Maharashtra Governor and a seasoned leader with an RSS background, was a foregone conclusion due to the ruling alliance’s numerical edge in the two Houses of Parliament that constitute the electoral college. However, the contest received unusual attention due to speculation about the sudden resignation of former VicePresident Jagdeep Dhankhar in July that caused the vacancy.
The principal opposition Congress and its INDI alliance had fielded a former Supreme Court Judge who had called upon MPs to vote according to their ‘conscience’, raising fears of cross-voting from the BJP and its allies.
Regional parties
As things turned out, the NDA nominee received more votes than expected votes on party lines, even counting extra support of 11 members of the YSR Congress. Regional parties like the Biju Janata Dail (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) used the election as a flashpoint in a bid to solidify their position as principal opposition parties for their respective states by abstaining from the elections – highlighting local issues and distancing themselves from national-level coalitions.
A total of 767 MPs out of 781 cast their votes with a total turnout of 98.2 per cent. No party whips were issued, but there was clear indication of crossvoting and it was the Opposition nominee who received fewer votes from his camp followers.
After the formal announcement, Vice President-elect CP Radhakrishnan was facilitated by leaders from across the political spectrum, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
RS Chairperson
The Vice-President is the second highest constitutional office in the country. Its occupant not only functions as the acting President if the position becomes vacant during the term but is also ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. It was the first time in the history of independent India that a by-election for the Vice-President was held. It remains to be seen how the successful choice of an RSS veteran from Tamil Nadu will boost the ruling BJP’s electoral ambitious south of the Vindhyas.
But one thing is certain: a new chapter in India’s Constitutional history has been scripted.
