Key Points

Speaking to IANS, Maurya expressed elation over Radhakrishnan's decisive win and said, "It's a historic moment. C.P. Radhakrishnan is now the Vice President of India. I congratulate him on behalf of myself and the people of Uttar Pradesh."

Maurya asserted that under Radhakrishnan's leadership, the country is poised to scale new heights.

"There is a wave of happiness across the nation, particularly in South India. The fact that he secured more votes than the NDA's expected strength shows that the alliance has grown stronger. The INDIA bloc has been thoroughly weakened."

On speculation of cross-voting, Maurya said, "This was not about party lines. It was a battle between nationalism and naxalism -- and nationalism has won with a resounding majority."

On Tuesday, C.P. Radhakrishnan, the NDA's vice-presidential candidate, secured victory against Opposition nominee B. Sudershan Reddy. Radhakrishnan garnered 452 first-preference votes -- well above the required 377-mark -- winning by a margin of 152 votes, according to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody.

Of the 781 eligible members of Parliament, 315 opposition MPs participated in the voting. Thirteen MPs abstained, including seven from the Biju Janata Dal, four from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, one from the Shiromani Akali Dal, and one independent.

Radhakrishnan's election comes nearly two months after former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post on July 21, citing health reasons.

Known for his calm demeanour and inclusive leadership style, C.P. Radhakrishnan was serving as the Governor of Maharashtra when the NDA nominated him for the Vice-Presidential race. A two-time MP from Coimbatore during the Vajpayee era, he narrowly missed a cabinet berth in 1998 due to confusion with another Tamil Nadu leader of a similar name.

However, despite the opposition's claims of unity, the final vote count indicates that some cross-voting may have occurred in favour of C.P. Radhakrishnan. The BJP, which had worked discreetly to secure full support from its alliance partners, was quick to highlight the apparent cracks within the Opposition ranks.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday, "Several Opposition members have supported our NDA candidate. This is certainly a positive indication."

According to BJP sources, at least 15 MPs from Opposition parties are believed to have voted for the NDA nominee. Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh had previously asserted that all 315 MPs from the INDIA bloc had participated in the voting.

"The Opposition remained completely united. All 315 of our MPs were present and cast their votes. This kind of 100 per cent turnout is truly remarkable," Ramesh posted on social media platform X.

- IANS