Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, on Wednesday, congratulated C.P. Radhakrishnan, the newly elected Vice President, recalling the inspiring words of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India's first Vice President and the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
In a post on the social media platform X, he said: "The newly elected Vice President, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, who will also serve as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, is extended best wishes as the Indian National Congress recalls the inspiring words of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India's first Vice President and the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha."
He further quoted from Dr. Radhakrishnan's inaugural address on May 16, 1952:
"I do not belong to any one party, and that means I belong to every party in this House. My endeavour will be to uphold the highest traditions of parliamentary democracy and to act with complete impartiality and equality towards every party—bearing no malice towards anyone and maintaining goodwill towards all... If a democracy does not allow opposition groups to critically, independently, and clearly critique the government’s policies, it may turn into a dictatorship..."
The Congress leader praised Radhakrishnan for embodying these principles throughout his life, both in letter and spirit.
The recent Vice-Presidential election saw NDA candidate Radhakrishnan emerge victorious, securing 452 first preference votes against Justice (Retd.) B. Sudershan Reddy, the consensus candidate of the INDIA bloc, who bagged just 300 votes. The result, while largely expected, sparked discussions about the Opposition's unity and voting patterns.
The Congress MP had earlier hailed the Opposition's performance and posted:
"The voting in the Vice-Presidential election is over. The Opposition has stood united. ALL of its 315 MPs have turned up for voting. This is an unprecedented 100 per cent turnout."
He added: "Its joint candidate Justice (Retd.) B. Sudershan Reddy secured 40 per cent of the vote. In 2022, the Opposition had received 26 per cent. The BJP's arithmetical victory is really both a moral and political defeat."
However, the official tally revealed a gap that has fueled speculation over cracks within the Opposition, challenging the claims of complete unity. The election results, announced by Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody, indicate a comfortable win for Radhakrishnan but also expose internal Opposition challenges ahead.
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