C P Radhakrishnan becomes the 15th Vice President of India
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General Studies Paper II: Parliament, Constitutional Bodies, Executive |
Why in News?
C P Radhakrishnan became India’s 15th Vice-President on September 9, 2025. He won with 452 votes defeating B Sudershan Reddy who got 300.
Vice-Presidential Election of India 2025
- Timing: The Election Commission issued the official election notification on 1 August 2025. Following that, the voting took place on 9 September 2025 inside Parliament, running from 10 am to 5 pm.
- Nomination: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) put forward C. P. Radhakrishnan, who was then serving as the Governor of Maharashtra. The opposition INDIA bloc nominated Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge.
- Voter Turnout: Among 781 eligible Members of Parliament, 767 cast their ballots. That reflects a 98.2 % turnout. Out of those, 752 ballots were deemed valid, and 15 were invalid. There were also 14 abstentions recorded.
- Vote Counts: C. P. Radhakrishnan secured 452 first-preference votes, while B. Sudershan Reddy received 300. The vote margin of 152 in favor of Radhakrishnan was wider than anticipated. The required threshold to win was around 377 first-preference votes.
- Result: The Returning Officer, who also serves as the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha, announced the VP name at 19:30 IST on 9 September 2025. According to the vote counts, C. P. Radhakrishnan had been elected 15th Vice-President of India.
Constitutional Basis of the Vice-Presidential Election in India
- Provision: The Constitution of India clearly lays down the procedure for electing the Vice-President. The authority for this process lies in Article 66. It states that the vote must follow proportional representation via single transferable vote, and the election must use a secret ballot.
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- A candidate must satisfy key conditions to be eligible. A candidate must be an Indian citizen, must have completed 35 years of age, and must be qualified for membership in the Rajya Sabha.
- A candidate must not occupy any office of profit under central, state, or local government, except for specific constitutional positions such as President, Vice-President, or Governor.
- The Constitution mandates that elections occur before the current Vice-President’s term ends. If a vacancy arises unexpectedly—by resignation, death, or removal—the election must happen “as soon as possible”, ensuring continuity in office.
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- Authority: The Election Commission of India oversees the election under its constitutional mandate. The ECI conducts the process under Article 324, the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act of 1952, and the Election Rules of 1974. These legal instruments guide nomination procedures, voting logistics, scrutiny, and counting.
- Disputes: Any dispute related to the Vice-Presidential election, including questions of validity or eligibility, is handled by the Supreme Court. This jurisdiction comes from Article 71, ensuring that the electoral process remains lawful and final decisions rest with the highest court.
Electoral College and Voting Procedure in Vice-Presidential Election
- Electoral College: The Electoral College elects the Vice-President. It includes all members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This group spans both elected and nominated members. In 2025, the Electoral College comprised 233 elected Rajya Sabha members, 12 nominated Rajya Sabha members, and 543 elected Lok Sabha members, making a total of 782 electors.The constitution grants each member one vote of equal weight.
- Nomination: A candidate must follow specific steps to contest. The person must submit a nomination between designated hours on a scheduled day. The form must carry at least 20 proposers and 20 seconders among the electors. Each elector may support only one nomination. A candidate may file a maximum of four nomination papers. These rules ensure fairness and structure.
- Voting Method: The voting follows a single transferable vote system based on proportional representation. Each elector marks their first preference at a minimum to make their ballot valid. They may optionally mark additional rankings. The voting stays secret at all times.
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- The quota to win equals half of the valid votes polled plus one. If no candidate attains the quota on the first count, the candidate with the fewest preferences is eliminated and their ballots are transferred to remaining candidates by next preferences. The process repeats until a candidate crosses the quota.
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- Declaration: The Returning Officer supervises vote counting. They validate ballots and apply preference transfers until a winner emerges. The Returning Officer then announces the result to the electoral college and reports it to the Election Commission and Government of India, which publishes the name in the Official Gazette.
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