C P Radhakrishnan declared 15th vice-president after defeating opposition's Reddy by 152 votes, EC certifies victory

NEW DELHI: Marking the culmination of the vice-presidential election process, the Election Commission -- comprising chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and election commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi -- on Wednesday certified the election of C P Radhakrishnan as the 15th vice-president of India.

A copy of the certificate signed by the three EC members was handed over to the Union home secretary by deputy election commissioner Bhanu Prakash Yeturu and secretary Suman Kumar Das; it will be read out at the time of oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected vice-president.

Appreciating the smooth conduct of the vice-presidential poll, the EC in a statement expressed "its sincere appreciation to the entire team of the returning officer, ECI observers, Delhi Police , CRPF for their excellent cooperation in the conduct of the aforesaid election".

EC had announced the schedule for the seventeenth vice-presidential election on August 1. Of the 781 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs who formed the electoral college, 767 exercised their franchise. Fifteen ballot papers were, however, declared invalid.

The 67-year-old Radhakrishanan was declared elected by the returning officer after he defeated his rival, the joint Opposition nominee B Sudershen Reddy , by 152 votes.