New Delhi [India], September 9 : Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday congratulated C P Radhakrishnan for his victory in the Vice Presidential elections, while expressing gratitude to the united Opposition's joint candidate B Sudershan Reddy for a "spirited and principled fight."
"Best wishes to Shri C P Radhakrishnan on securing victory in the Vice Presidential election. We extend our sincere gratitude to Shri B Sudershan Reddy garu, the united Opposition's joint candidate, for his spirited and principled fight," Kharge, who is Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said in a post on X.
Kharge said said it was a battle of ideology, reaffirming that "governments with authoritarian tendencies must be checked".
"This was more than an election; it was a battle of ideology, reaffirming that governments with authoritarian tendencies must be checked to protect our Constitution and Democracy. We hope the new Vice President-elect will uphold the highest ethos of Parliamentary traditions, ensuring equal space and dignity for the Opposition, and not succumb to pressures of the ruling dispensation," he said.
He also said that the election was necessitated as Jagdeep Dhankar resigned suddenly and alleged that his exit still "unexplained and unceremonious".
"The Vice President, the second highest Constitutional office in the order of precedence, must be revitalised to reflect independence, fairness, and strength in safeguarding Democratic values. We must also remember why this election was necessitated. Shri Jagdeep Dhankar resigned suddenly on the very day he chaired the opening of the Monsoon Session--an exit still unexplained and unceremonious. As we move forward, transparency, accountability, and respect for Constitutional positions must guide our institutions in letter and spirit," he said.
CP Radhakrishnan was elected as the 15th Vice President on Tuesday.
Radhakrishnan defeated opposition nominee Justice B Sudershan Reddy by 152 votes in the Vice Presidential elections.
The election saw 98.20 per cent polling with 767 MPs casting their votes out of 781 eligible to vote.N
Radhakrishnan received 452 first preference votes whereas the INDIA bloc candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy received 300 first preference votes. Fifteen votes were invalid.