The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday alleged that at least 15 MPs from the Opposition INDIA bloc cross-voted in the Vice Presidential election, pointing to a gap between the numbers claimed and the votes secured. NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan was declared the winner of the vice presidential election with 452 votes, while Opposition nominee Justice (retd) B Sudershan Reddy received 300.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya took to X to question the Opposition’s performance, posting: “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!”
This comes as Congress MP Jairam Ramesh hailed the united performance of the Opposition bloc, saying in a post, “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 in the Vice Presidential Elections. The BJP’s arithmetical victory is really both a moral and political defeat. The ideological battle continues undiminished.”
BJP chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Sanjay Jaiswal, also emphasised that the victory margin reflected support from outside the NDA camp. “The NDA nominee won the vice presidential election by bagging 452 votes because he received support from some opposition MPs also. About 40 MPs belonging to the opposition camp supported the NDA’s vice presidential candidate Radhakrishnan, listening to their conscience,” he told news agency PTI at the Parliament House Complex.
Highlighting the significance of the outcome, Jaiswal said, “Despite our strength of 427, we got 452 votes. This indicates that our candidate had wider acceptance.” He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for the NDA’s decision to field Radhakrishnan, saying, “Whatever decision is taken under the leadership of the prime minister is correct. That’s why our (NDA) candidate (won).”
He further pointed out that 15 MPs deliberately cast invalid votes, possibly to avoid siding with either the INDI alliance or the BJP.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Imraan Masood pointed to the Opposition’s gains while speaking to ANI. “There has been a 14% increase in votes secured by this candidate (Opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy) as compared to the last candidate. This candidate received 40% of the total votes, compared to 26% secured by the previous candidate. So the Opposition is only gaining; there will be a change… They (NDA) could not cause a significant dent…”
Sudershan Reddy Accepts Outcome, Vows to Continue Ideological Battle
Opposition nominee Justice (retd) B Sudershan Reddy on Tuesday conceded defeat in the Vice Presidential election, emphasising his faith in India’s democratic traditions.
“Today, the MPs have rendered their verdict in the election for the office of the Vice President of India. I humbly accept this outcome with an abiding faith in the democratic processes of our great Republic. This journey has been a profound honour, offering me the opportunity to stand for the values that have guided my life—constitutional morality, justice, and the dignity of every individual. Though the result is not in my favour, the larger cause we have collectively sought to advance remains undiminished. The ideological battle continues with ever greater vigour,” Reddy said in his statement.
He also thanked Opposition leaders for nominating him as their joint candidate, adding, “Our democracy is strengthened not by victory alone, but by the spirit of dialogue, dissent, and participation.” Extending good wishes to his rival, he said, “I wish the Vice President-elect Shri CP Radhakrishnan the very best as he embarks upon his tenure.”