THough the victory of Mr. C P Radhakrishnan in the Vice-Presidential battle against Mr. B Sudershan Reddy was a foregone conclusion, the final tally of votes has become a significant signal for the I.N.D.I Alliance on the stability in the NDA and distrust in the Opposition bloc. The election, necessitated by the sudden resignation of Mr. Jagdeep Dhankhar six weeks ago, has delivered a solid verdict for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and given India the 15th Vice-President who is held in high esteem across party lines in the country. In Mr. Radhakrishnan, the country has got a man of solid integrity and an able hand to control the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha which had seen an unprecedented polarisation in debates in the near past. Mr. Radhakrishnan’s victory in the V-P election confirms the precision of the BJP in handling political affairs as not only it secured all the NDA votes but also ensured cross-voting to swell the final count for the new Vice-President. The election put to rest the debate about rumblings beneath the surface in the BJP as the party came out with a united show to stamp its authority in the Parliamentary system. Contrary to the perception of cracks in the National Democratic Alliance constituents the opposite happened in the I.N.D.I Alliance as some votes were termed “invalid” and some MPs chose to back Mr. Radhakrishnan.

 

It is a signal for the Opposition led by Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi about the incoherence in ideas in the grouping. Against the background of Mr. Dhankhar’s sudden resignation on health grounds and his long silence preceding the V-P elections, Mr. Radhakrishnan’s victory establishes many pointers for the future. The soft-spoken Tamilian emerged top favourite in the battle against jurist Mr. Reddy mainly because of his vast experience in legislative and constitutional matters. His popularity across party lines had, in fact, helped the BJP hand him gubernatorial positions after a long innings in active politics. Being from the BJP ecosystem and a dedicated volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), unlike Mr. Dhankhar, the party picked him for the high office with the strategy of playing safe and avoiding difficult situations like the resignation of the former chairman of the Upper House. Also, by picking an OBC candidate in Mr. Radhakrishnan, from the Kongu Vellalar Gounder community in Tamil Nadu, the BJP has made a symbolic statement for South politics.

 

The challenge ahead for Mr. Radhakrishnan will be running the Rajya Sabha by keeping with the set practices and giving confidence to the Opposition that their voice will be heard with compassion. The 67-year-old has a reputation of being friendly with leaders having different political thinking. He is seen as a non-abrasive person who is ready to listen to different ideologies before making a conscious decision. This quality will definitely help him tide over the polarised debates in the Upper House which seeks order and proper functioning. In Mr. Radhakrishnan, the Rajya Sabha might have found the man who will go by the set of rules and treat both the Treasury and Opposition benches equally, with the same yardstick. India’s political discourse needs a balanced figure like the new Vice-President for the Parliament to engage in meaningful debates on issues of national importance.

 

The last session witnessed the opposite of this idea of democracy as little business was transacted despite the country facing some critical issues. Now, with the Vice-President elections over and a candidate of great merit and exceptional track record like Mr. C P Radhakrishnan assuming the high office, the country expects the people’s representatives to honour their commitments and shun cantankerousness as a mark of respect for the incumbent.