The Vice-Presidential election of 2025 was always expected to go in favour of the NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan. But the real story lies not in his victory, but in the shocking cracks within the opposition. Despite tall claims of unity and full attendance, the INDIA bloc candidate B. Sudershan Reddy managed just 300 votes 15 short of what Congress leaders boasted hours before the results. With at least 15 opposition MPs cross-voting in favour of the NDA, the question is clear: if the INDIA bloc cannot keep its flock together in Parliament, how can it win the trust of the people in elections?
Radhakrishnan’s Comfortable Victory
C.P. Radhakrishnan, a senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu and Governor of Maharashtra & former Governor of Jharkhand, was elected as India’s 15th Vice President with 452 votes against opposition candidate B. Sudershan Reddy’s 300 votes. Out of 781 valid electors, 767 MPs cast their ballots. Of these, 15 votes were declared invalid, reducing the majority mark to 377. Radhakrishnan sailed through comfortably, securing 75% of the total valid votes polled.
While the outcome was never in doubt given the NDA’s numerical advantage, the surprise was the widened margin of victory. Analysts expected some opposition MPs to resist party lines due to the secret ballot, but few anticipated the INDIA bloc to lose as many as 15 of its claimed votes.
The Opposition’s “Unity” Narrative Collapses
Before the election results, the Congress party proudly declared that all 315 MPs from the INDIA bloc had turned up to vote an “unprecedented 100% turnout.” Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary, hailed it as proof of the alliance’s unity. Yet, when the results came out, the bloc’s candidate trailed with only 300 votes.
BJP leaders were quick to highlight this contradiction. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya asked bluntly: “All 315 voted… but for whom is the real question?” The INDIA bloc had claimed discipline, but the ballot box revealed betrayal from within. The humiliation was compounded by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s remarks that “many opposition parties have also voted for our NDA candidate,” hinting at deeper rifts within the alliance.
The Mystery of the Missing Votes
The question now haunting the INDIA bloc is simple who deserted their candidate? The bloc claims 315 MPs, yet Reddy received only 300 votes. Meanwhile, the NDA had 427 assured votes, plus 11 from YSR Congress, taking the total to 438. Yet, Radhakrishnan secured 452 votes 14 more than expected.
This clearly indicates that at least 15 opposition MPs cross-voted in favour of the NDA. Was it Congress MPs themselves? Or members of AAP, TMC, or DMK who defied their parties’ stand? Since the Vice-Presidential election is conducted through a secret ballot, the truth will never be fully known. But the political damage is undeniable the INDIA bloc looks fractured, unreliable, and incapable of discipline.
BJP’s Strategic Masterstroke
By fielding C.P. Radhakrishnan, the BJP played a calculated move. A seasoned leader with RSS roots and strong credentials from Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan’s nomination was meant to further BJP’s push in the South while also projecting a leader with a cooperative image, unlike the combative Jagdeep Dhankhar.
His affable personality and cross-party friendships made him an acceptable figure for even those in opposition ranks. For some INDIA bloc MPs, the choice between Radhakrishnan and Reddy may not have been difficult, especially given the absence of a party whip in Vice-Presidential polls. In the end, BJP’s silent strategy worked not only did their candidate win, but the opposition walked away bruised by its own betrayal.
A Warning Signal Before Elections
The INDIA bloc has repeatedly claimed that it will offer the people a “united alternative” to the BJP in the upcoming elections. Yet the Vice-Presidential polls have exposed the hollowness of that claim. If at least 15 MPs from within their camp cannot be trusted to vote for their own nominee, how will the bloc inspire confidence among voters?
The failed “Telugu card” strategy fielding B. Sudershan Reddy in the hope of attracting some southern votes also backfired. Instead of causing a rift in the NDA, it seems to have deepened divisions within the INDIA bloc itself. The episode has reinforced the impression that the bloc is an alliance of convenience, riddled with mistrust and contradictions.
INDIA Bloc’s Credibility in Tatters
The Vice-Presidential election of 2025 may not alter the NDA’s dominance in Parliament, but it has delivered a crushing blow to the INDIA bloc’s credibility. Their biggest weakness lack of internal cohesion has once again been exposed for all to see.
With at least 15 MPs choosing to defy their alliance, the bloc’s tall claims of “unity” ring hollow. For the BJP, the result was not just a victory in numbers but a political triumph in exposing the opposition’s fragility. For the INDIA bloc, it is a reminder that before dreaming of defeating Modi in 2029, they must first win the loyalty of their own MPs. Until then, their unity will remain nothing more than a slogan
