BJP names CP Radhakrishnan as NDA vice-presidential candidate

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced on Sunday (August 17) that Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan was the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the upcoming vice-presidential election scheduled for September 9.

His name was finalized at the BJP parliamentary council meeting held at the party headquarters.

“We want the next vice president to be elected unanimously. We have contacted opposition leaders,” BJP president JP Nadda said while announcing the candidature. “CP Radhakrishnan, considered a statesman, commands respect in all sections of society in Tamil Nadu,” he added.

The NDA had authorized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nadda to finalize the alliance candidate. The move comes after the abrupt resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21 during the parliamentary session. Dhankhar cited health reasons, although the opposition said differences with the government had prompted the decision.

With a comfortable majority in the constituency comprising members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the NDA is all set to score an easy victory if the election is contested. India’s opposition bloc is expected to deliberate on the presentation of its candidate at a meeting scheduled for August 18.

Meanwhile, all NDA chief ministers and deputy chief ministers were called to Delhi on August 21 for filing nomination papers.

Who is CP Radhakrishnan?

Born on October 20, 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandrapuram Ponnuswamy Radhakrishnan is a long-time leader of the BJP. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore twice (1998, 1999) and was also the Tamil Nadu state president of the BJP from 2003 to 2006.

Over the years, he held several governorships. Radhakrishnan took over as Governor of Maharashtra in July 2024, after serving as Governor of Jharkhand (2023-2024). He also held additional responsibilities as Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in 2024.

He is said to have strong ties to the south Indian grassroots, which could help the BJP in parliamentary elections due next year in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Radhakrishnan is also considered a confidant of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, besides having a long association with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

He belongs to the Gounder-Kongu Vellalar community which is classified as Other Backward Caste (OBC). If elected vice president, he would be India’s second vice president from the OBC community.

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