NEW DELHI, Sept 10: The Congress on Wednesday extended its best wishes to vice president-elect C P Radhakrishnan, while reminding him of the high standards of impartiality expected of the Rajya Sabha chair. The party invoked the legacy of the first vice president, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who in 1952 had underlined that democracy risks degenerating into tyranny if it does not allow the opposition to “criticise fairly, freely, and frankly” the policies of the government.
Addressing the media and posting on X, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the Indian National Congress not only congratulates Radhakrishnan on his election but also recalls the wise words of Dr. Radhakrishnan on the opening day of the Rajya Sabha in May 1952. Quoting the eminent philosopher-statesman, he said: “I belong to no party, and that means I belong to every party in this House. It shall be my endeavour to uphold the highest traditions of parliamentary democracy and act towards each party with fairness and impartiality, with ill-will to none and goodwill to all.”
Ramesh added that Dr. Radhakrishnan truly practised what he preached, both in letter and in spirit, and set the tone for the dignity of the office. The Congress, he said, expects that these principles of impartiality and fairness would continue to guide the functioning of the Rajya Sabha under the new vice president.
The reminder came a day after NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan was declared the winner of the vice presidential polls, defeating the joint opposition candidate, former Supreme Court judge Justice (retd) B Sudershan Reddy, by 452 votes to 300. The scale of his victory was larger than anticipated, with indications of cross-voting in his favour.
While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had already congratulated Radhakrishnan on his election, he also expressed gratitude to Justice Reddy for being the face of a united opposition and for what he described as a principled and spirited fight. Ramesh reiterated that the opposition had put up a strong and respectable performance. “Our joint candidate secured 40% of the votes. In the 2022 vice presidential elections, the opposition tally was only 26%. By comparison, this year marks a clear consolidation and unity of purpose,” he said.
At the same time, the Congress downplayed the ruling party’s numerical victory, calling it a setback in moral and political terms. “The BJP’s arithmetical victory is really both a moral and political defeat. The ideological battle continues undiminished,” Ramesh said.