Cross-Voting Allegations Rock VP Election After Rijiju Thanks ‘Friendly MPs’
BJP leaders hint at INDIA bloc defections in Vice-Presidential election; Congress MP Manish Tewari seeks serious investigation into claims.
New Delhi, Sep 10: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday sparked a political row by thanking “some friendly MPs” from the Opposition bloc for allegedly cross-voting in favour of NDA’s candidate CP Radhakrishnan during the Vice-Presidential election 2025.
Rijiju’s comments came a day after Radhakrishnan defeated Opposition-backed candidate Justice (retd) B Sudershan Reddy to become the 15th Vice President of India. The NDA candidate secured 452 first-preference votes, while Reddy managed 300. Of the 767 votes cast, 15 were declared invalid, leaving 752 valid ballots.
Senior BJP leader BL Santhosh amplified the claims, noting that the INDIA bloc tally fell short. “Voting happened through ballot papers & INDI Alliance got 15 votes less than their number. The INDI alliance leaders had campaigned for a conscience vote. They got it in return,” he wrote on X.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, however, maintained that the Opposition remained united, claiming “100% turnout” of all 315 MPs. Yet the presence of invalid votes has left room for speculation about possible cross-voting.
Reacting to the controversy, Congress MP Manish Tewari said the matter should not be taken lightly. “If there was cross-voting, then it should be seriously investigated by each of the constituents of the INDIA Alliance,” he stated, adding that a “systematic and clinical” probe was needed to safeguard political credibility.
The alleged cross-voting has reignited debates over ballot secrecy and party discipline in high-stakes parliamentary elections.
