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NDA’s candidate CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday won the Vice Presidential election, defeating the INDIA bloc’s nominee, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, by a sweeping majority.The NDA-backed candidate secured a clear majority in the election and won a total of 452 votes. By comparison, Dhankhar had won in 2022 with 528 votes, while Venkaiah Naidu claimed victory in 2017 with 516.Polling for the election began at 10 a.m. in Parliament, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting the first vote of the day. Voting continued through the afternoon before counting commenced in the evening. The outcome, announced late on Tuesday, reflected the NDA’s numerical advantage in both Houses of Parliament.Also Read: NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan defeats INDIA bloc's B Sudershan Reddy to win Vice Presidential pollRadhakrishnan’s win was expected, with the NDA commanding support from well over the majority mark of 391 MPs. His margin over Justice Reddy has sent a message on the ruling bloc’s strength in Parliament, even as some regional parties chose to abstain from the contest.Who is CP Radhakrishnan?Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan has spent over four decades in public life and politics. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and began his career as an RSS swayamsevak, later joining the Bharatiya Janasangh in 1974 as a state executive member.Also Read: VP Elections 2025: Who is Sudershan Reddy? Meet the INDIA bloc candidate who lost to NDA's RadhakrishnanRadhakrishnan entered national politics as a BJP Member of Parliament from Coimbatore, elected in 1998 and 1999, and served on key parliamentary committees including the Standing Committee on Textiles and the Committee on Public Sector Undertakings. He was also part of the Special Parliamentary Committee probing the Stock Exchange Scam and represented India at the UN General Assembly in 2004.At the state level, he served as President of BJP Tamil Nadu (2004–07), undertaking a 19,000 km Ratha Yatra over 93 days to promote causes like river linking, uniform civil code, eradication of untouchability, anti-terrorism measures, and anti-narcotics initiatives. Later, he was Chairman of the Coir Board, oversaw record export growth, served as All-India BJP in-charge for Kerala (2020–22), and held gubernatorial roles in Jharkhand, Telangana, Puducherry, and Maharashtra.Known as a sports enthusiast, he was a college champion in table tennis, a long-distance runner, and enjoys cricket and volleyball. Radhakrishnan has also travelled extensively across Europe, Asia, and North America, reflecting a blend of grassroots activism, parliamentary experience, and administrative leadership.The Political Battle: NDA vs INDIA BlocThe Vice Presidential election Tuesday was marked by a significant contest between the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc. Prior to the election, the NDA held a clear numerical advantage, with 427 MPs supporting Radhakrishnan—well above the majority mark of 391. In contrast, the INDIA bloc's candidate was backed by 354 MPs, comprising 249 in the Lok Sabha and 105 in the Rajya Sabha. Several parties, including the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), chose to abstain from the election, further consolidating the NDA's lead. The INDIA bloc positioned the election as an ideological battle, emphasising the need for a Vice President who would uphold democratic values and institutional independence. Justice Reddy's nomination was seen as a move to counterbalance the NDA's influence. However, the opposition's efforts were hampered by internal divisions and the NDA's overwhelming support base, as was suggested by MPs, politicians representing the ruling base.

Eight out of the ten most widely held stocks by retail shareholders are trading in the red so far in the July-September 2025 quarter. Data from this period highlights a concerning pattern: despite strong popularity among retail investors, most of these stocks have failed to deliver positive returns. It’s important to note that retail shareholding figures are based on the June 2025 quarter and represent individual shareholders holding nominal share capital up to Rs 2 lakh.Bucking the trend, leading the pack in retail shareholder count is Tata Motors, one of only two stocks among the top ten that have posted modest gains. Tata Motors recorded a 4.5% rise in just over two months of trading so far in Q2FY26. The other Tata Group stock in the green is Tata Steel, which grew by 5.7% during the same period.The list of top stocks by retail holders, drawn from the BSE 500 index, includes well-known names such as Reliance Industries, Yes Bank, and Suzlon Energy, many of which disappointed investors by reporting negative returns despite robust retail interest. 123784870Key Insights from the Data:Retail Flock vs. Share Price Performance: Tata Motors leads with over 66 lakh retail shareholders and holds around 65 crore shares. The stock showed resilience with a 4.55% gain. Interestingly, Yes Bank, with the second-highest retail holder count of 62.6 lakh and the largest shares held by retail investors (706 crore), recorded only a marginal decline of 0.84%. This shows that even large retail participation doesn’t guarantee strong price movement.Steep Losses for High Retail Stocks: Suzlon Energy and Indian Railway Finance Corporation stand out for their steep declines of 15.26% and 12.10%, respectively. Both have over 54 lakh retail shareholders, reflecting a significant investor base facing losses, highlighting the risks involved in following popular stocks blindly.Tata Group’s Strong Showing: Three Tata Group companies — Tata Motors, Tata Steel, and Tata Power — dominate the retail investor list. While Tata Motors and Tata Steel posted gains, Tata Power dipped 5.49%, showing mixed performance within the group.Energy Sector Pressure: Apart from Suzlon Energy and Tata Power, two more energy sector companies, NTPC and NHPC, also saw declines of 2.48% and 8.39%, respectively, indicating sector-wide challenges impacting retail investors.Reliance Industries’ Surprising Dip: Reliance Industries, often considered a blue-chip and relatively stable investment, fell 8.12% during the quarter. This underperformance despite having over 42 lakh retail holders reflects broader market volatility and profit-taking.Also Read: Urban Company IPO GMP rises to 28% ahead of launch. Should You Apply?What This Means for Retail InvestorsThis trend is a cautionary signal for retail investors who may be attracted to stocks solely based on popularity or the sheer number of retail holders. High retail ownership does not automatically translate to strong price performance or guaranteed profits. Experts advise retail investors to look beyond popularity and conduct in-depth research focusing on company fundamentals, sector outlooks, and macroeconomic factors. In volatile markets, relying on crowd behaviour without analysis can lead to unexpected losses.

Average quarterly household expenses rose 14% to ₹56,135 in the March 2025 quarter due to inflation across essential categories, which has outpaced income growth, according to Worldpanel by Numerator. The average quarterly expenses were about ₹42,000 in 2022.Families in villages and lower-income groups saw the most significant increase in expenses, as spending rose 18%, while higher-income households in cities also saw a 15% increase in quarterly spending, said the study – Kharcha 3.0 – adding that wallet stress has surged over the past three years with consumers struggling to balance essential consumption, debt obligations, and limited discretionary spending."With rising expenses across both urban and rural segments and most families prioritising essentials, savings, and debt repayment, consumers are becoming increasingly cautious in their choices. For brands, this is a pivotal moment to reimagine how they deliver value — by staying affordable, relevant, and responsive to the evolving needs of households that are balancing resilience with restraint," said K Ramakrishnan, Managing Director – South Asia, Worldpanel by Numerator.More than 58% of households said they are struggling to manage expenses, up from 38% a year ago, while only 17% of families said they are living comfortably. The rest reported that they are “managing somehow.”According to the Reserve Bank of India, the consumer confidence index was at 95.4 in May, compared to 95.5 in March. A score below 100 indicates more pessimism than optimism.59% of households believe their financial situation will get worse in the next three months, and just 11% expect things to improve.With tighter budgets, Indian consumers are focusing their spending on basic needs, and about 80% of respondents said they only buy essential groceries. Many are also switching to cheaper brands and cutting back on impulse purchases.According to the study, which surveyed 6,000 homes, more than half of households, or 54%, said they would save if they received additional income.