CP Radhakrishnan pledges to work for "nation's development" after being elected as Vice President

New Delhi [India], September 10 (ANI): After being elected as Vice President, CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday expressed his commitment to the nation’s development and emphasised the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between the ruling party and the opposition in a democracy.

"In the new capacity, I will try my best for the development of the nation," Radhakrishnan said while interacting with the media on Tuesday. 

He further said, “In a democracy, both the ruling party and the opposition are important. It is the two sides of the same coin. The interest of the democracy will be taken into account." 

Reflecting on the responsibilities of the office, Radhakrishnan underlined that every position in public life carries significance along with certain limitations.

“Every post is important, and every post has its own limitations. We have to understand that we have to work within that framework,” he said. 

Commenting on the electoral outcome, he noted that while the opposition INDIA alliance had termed the contest an ideological battle, the results reflected a broader acceptance of nationalistic values. 

"The other side camp (INDIA alliance) said that this is an ideological fight, but from the voting pattern, we understand that the nationalistic ideology has become victorious," Radhakrishnan said.

Further mentioning about the Prime Minister Narendra  Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, he said, “We all have to work together. If we want Viksit Bharat by 2047, we should not do politics in everything. Once the election is over, we have to forget politics and we have to concentrate on development..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Vice President-elect CP Radhakrishnan in the national capital and congratulated him on his victory. 

PM Modi was joined by Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Pralhad Joshi and JP Nadda. Radhakrishnan defeated INDIA bloc nominee Justice B Sudershan Reddy by 152 votes in the Vice Presidential elections held between 10 am and 5 pm on Tuesday. 

A total of 98.20 per cent voter turnout was found in the Vice Presidential elections, wherein 767 MPs cast their vote out of 781. NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan received 452 first preference votes, whereas the INDIA bloc candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy received 300 first preference votes. 

Fifteen votes were considered invalid. "NDA nominee and Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan got 452 first preference votes. He has been elected as the Vice President of India... Opposition's vice-presidential candidate Justice Sudershan Reddy secured 300 first preference votes," Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha, PC Mody said in his press conference. 

A total of 13 MPs abstained from voting in the Vice Presidential elections. The list includes seven MPs from Biju Janata Dal, four from Bharath Rashtra Samithi, one MP from Shiromani Akali Dal and one independent MP. The Vice President's seat has been vacant since July 21, 2025, as Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his position, citing health reasons. 

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, who was serving as the 24th Governor of Maharashtra from July 31, 2024, before being announced as NDA's Vice Presidential nominee. He previously served as the Governor of Jharkhand from February 2023 to July 2024. He also held additional charge as the Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry between March and July 2024. 

Radhakrishnan had earlier also served as the Governor of Jharkhand, Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. Radhakrishnan, who served as the two-time MP from Coimbatore, was born on October 20, 1957, in Tamil Nadu's Tirrupur. (ANI)