CP Radhakrishnan elected Vice President of India
India has a new Vice President. Veteran Tamil Nadu leader CP Radhakrishnan won the 2025 Vice Presidential election after MPs from both Houses of Parliament voted in a secret ballot. Backed by the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he defeated the opposition-backed nominee and is set to take over as the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.
Radhakrishnan is a familiar name in national politics. He twice represented Coimbatore in the Lok Sabha (in the late 1990s), led the BJP in Tamil Nadu at key moments, and built a reputation as a steady organiser who understands both party work and parliamentary procedure. In 2023, he was appointed Governor of Jharkhand, a role that put him in the thick of constitutional questions and Centre–state coordination. With this win, he moves from Raj Bhavan to one of the country’s highest constitutional offices.
The result caps weeks of chatter about potential nominees—several sitting governors were floated before parties settled on their final picks. Once the Election Commission issued the notification, parties moved quickly, knowing the numbers in Parliament would likely decide the outcome. The NDA’s strength in the Lok Sabha and its improved position in the Rajya Sabha gave Radhakrishnan a clear runway. The opposition pushed a united contest, but the math favored the ruling side.
The Vice President’s office is not just ceremonial. The person in that chair shapes how the Upper House works—what gets taken up first, how disruptions are handled, and whether heated debates are steered back to substance. After years where adjournments have eaten into working hours, all eyes will be on Radhakrishnan’s approach: steady hand or firm gavel? His stint as Governor suggests a procedural, by-the-book style, which could mean tighter enforcement of rules and more predictable scheduling.
What the Vice President does—and why it matters now
The Vice President is the ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and, if there is a vacancy, acts as President until a new one is elected. That means the VP sits at a sensitive junction of law, politics, and parliamentary practice. In a term where major legislation is expected to test consensus, the Chair’s choices—on admissibility, timing, and discipline—will shape outcomes as much as floor strength.
Here’s how the election works, in plain terms:
- Who votes: Members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha—elected and nominated—form the electoral college.
- How they vote: Secret ballot, using proportional representation and the single transferable vote. There’s no party whip; MPs vote their preference order.
- How counting works: If no one crosses the required quota on first preferences, the lowest candidate drops out and votes transfer based on next preferences until someone hits the mark.
- Who runs it: The Election Commission conducts the poll; results are declared in Parliament.
Once sworn in by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Radhakrishnan will preside over the Rajya Sabha, appoint a panel of Vice-Chairpersons, and decide points of order. The Chair also rules on disqualification petitions of Rajya Sabha members under the Tenth Schedule—matters that can shift the House’s balance during tight votes.
His rise also says something about the political map. A Tamil Nadu stalwart at the helm of the Upper House extends the BJP-led alliance’s footprint in the South, where the party has sought durable gains. For the opposition, this contest was as much about signaling unity as it was about the final tally. Expect both blocs to cite the outcome as proof of momentum—one as consolidation, the other as a rallying call before the next round of state polls.
Radhakrishnan’s record gives a few clues about his likely style. As an MP, he pushed industry-facing issues—textiles, MSMEs, urban infrastructure—typical of his Coimbatore base. As Governor, he kept a low public profile but showed a preference for process and punctuality. Translated to the Rajya Sabha, that could mean tighter time management, quicker disposal of procedural delays, and a firmer hand during walkouts and slogan-shouting.
There’s a pattern too: several recent Vice Presidents have been picked from constitutional or gubernatorial roles before moving to the Chair. Jagdeep Dhankhar, elected in 2022, had been the Governor of West Bengal. The logic is simple—someone who has handled friction between governments and institutions may be better equipped to manage a House where political temperature swings daily.
What changes immediately? The Rajya Sabha Secretariat will brief the new Chair on pending business, private members’ bills, committee reports waiting for discussion, and legislative items carried over. The new Vice President will also have to resign the governorship, after which the Centre may give temporary charge of Jharkhand to another Governor until a successor is named—standard housekeeping during transitions.
For lawmakers, the secret ballot in this election was a rare moment of personal discretion. Analysts had watched for signs of cross-voting; early indications suggested parties largely held their lines. But the secrecy of the vote means internal messaging mattered—alliances used this contest to test discipline ahead of contentious sessions.
Beyond optics, the Vice President’s success will be judged by quieter metrics: how many sittings end without adjournments, the ratio of time spent on business versus disruption, and the speed at which committees feed material into debates. If those numbers move in the right direction, expect smoother passage of budgetary and administrative bills and a better hearing for opposition motions—both essential for a functional Upper House.
The next few weeks are about ceremony and setup—oath, office, and the first day with the gavel. After that, it’s about charts, rulebooks, and the hardest part of the job: keeping the arguments sharp, not the tempers.
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