NDA Picks CP Radhakrishnan as Candidate for Vice President
The decision came after a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and attended by senior leaders including Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh. BJP president JP Nadda confirmed the announcement, noting that the choice was made after extensive consultations with alliance partners.
A consensus candidate?
Nadda expressed hope that the election could be settled by consensus. “We have spoken with opposition leaders, and they indicated that their support would depend on the candidate. We believe Radhakrishnan’s stature and experience make him a strong nominee,” he said.
The Vice Presidential post fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on July 21 citing health concerns. The Election Commission has already notified the schedule, with scrutiny of nominations on August 22 and polling on September 9 if required.
Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, 68, brings decades of political and administrative experience. Born in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, on October 20, 1957, he earned a degree in Business Administration before entering public life. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a young activist and later rose through the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He twice represented Coimbatore in the Lok Sabha and served as BJP’s Tamil Nadu president between 2004 and 2007. Radhakrishnan has also held gubernatorial roles, serving as Governor of Jharkhand from 2023 to 2024 with additional charge of Telangana, and later as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. He was sworn in as Maharashtra Governor in July 2024.
Beyond politics
Apart from his political career, Radhakrishnan is known for his sporting achievements. According to the Maharashtra Raj Bhavan website, he was a champion in table tennis and a long-distance runner during his college days. He remains an avid sports enthusiast, enjoying cricket and volleyball in particular.
NDA’s strategy and election dynamics
The decision to field Radhakrishnan reflects the NDA’s focus on presenting a widely acceptable candidate. At a meeting earlier this month, NDA allies authorised PM Modi and BJP chief Nadda to select the nominee. Leaders including JDU’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh and TDP’s Ram Mohan Naidu endorsed the move, signaling broad coalition support.
The BJP leadership is confident of securing the numbers in the Electoral College, where the ruling alliance enjoys an advantage. Still, the party is seeking consensus to avoid a contested election. Whether opposition parties will agree remains uncertain.
For more details, readers can refer to the Election Commission of India.