Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan – the ruling BJP’s vice-presidential pick – eased to victory Tuesday, scooping 452 of 752 valid votes cast by MPs from both Houses earlier today.
His rival – retired Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy, who was backed by the opposition, the Congress-led INDIA bloc – managed only 300 votes.
That Mr Radhakrishnan would win was never in doubt; the number of BJP MPs (who rarely break party lines when voting in Parliament) boosted by that from the party-led NDA alone guaranteed his triumph.
The BJP-led Natoinal Democratic Alliance has 427 MPs across the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, well above the majority mark of 377, which was calculated after excluding 15 invalid votes from 767 that were cast.
READ | NDA-Backed CP Radhakrishnan Elected India’s Next Vice President
Add 11 votes from ex-Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party – which had confirmed its support for Mr Radhakrishnan – the BJP candidate should have scored 438.
The Cross-Voting Question
The 14 extra votes – potential cross-voting by opposition MPs – have raised eyebrows.
The opposition candidate, Justice Reddy, should have scored at least 315 votes, for that is the number of MPs on the INDIA bloc’s roster, courtesy a strong showing in last year’s election.
He was also supposed to pick up 12 from the Aam Aadmi Party; the AAP is not officially part of the INDIA bloc – Sanjay Singh made that clear in July – but it was expected to vote for the INDIA bloc.
That he wound up with 15 (overall 27) votes less has been pounced upon by the BJP.
All 315 voted… but for whom is the real question! 🤔
Despite all the noise and bravado, the INDI Alliance candidate managed only 300 votes, 15 short of what they had confidently claimed.
So much for tall claims and unity! https://t.co/ZNTaViX8sP
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 9, 2025
In a swipe on X, in which he referred to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s post, Amit Malviya said, “Despite all the noise… the INDIA candidate managed only 300 votes, 15 short of what they claimed.”
INDIA MPs Did Cross-Vote?
Now, setting aside AAP’s 12 votes for now, where did the 15 INDIA bloc votes go?
Some may have been declared invalid. It is unlikely that all 15 were discarded.
That suggests strongly that some INDIA MPs cross-voted, although Mr Radhakrishnan’s margin of victory was likely also fed by votes from non-aligned MPs, such as independent lawmakers.
Who the cross-voters are is possibly the only question the INDIA bloc will be furiously trying to answer over the next few days and weeks, particularly with the Bihar election on the horizon.
Unity within the opposition grouping has been a contentious issue ever since it was formed in July 2023 with the express purpose of uniting political parties not aligned with the BJP.
Factionalism erupted frequently as bloc chief Congress tried, and failed, to reach seat-share deals with smaller allies for state elections in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat.
FROM THE ARCHIVE | Allies Twist Knife In “Arrogant” Congress After Haryana Loss
That factionalism likely played out in this election too; speaking to NDTV, Congress sources blamed the AAP for the less-than-ideal result. Of course, that doesn’t explain its 15-vote gap.
The opposition’s Veep nominee, retd. Supreme Court judge Justice Sudershan Reddy (File).
Ex-Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP has an uneasy relationship with the Congress, particularly after the two clashed over seat-sharing for Delhi and Haryana.
The vice-presidential election format – by secret ballot – make it easier for MPs from one party or alliance to vote for an on-paper rival. It also makes any definitive analysis difficult.
Meanwhile, in his first reaction to the defeat – a statement released minutes after the results – Justice Reddy said “I humbly accept this outcome with an abiding faith in the democratic process of our great republic”. He also thanked opposition leaders for believing in him.
And over to the winner, who was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “His life has always been devoted to serving society and empowering the poor and marginalised. I am confident he will be an outstanding VP, who will strengthen our Constitutional,” the PM said.
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