Rama Krishna Sangem
Now that ruling BJP led NDA has selected Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the post of Vice President of India, all eyes are on the stand of DMK, which is in power in Tamil Nadu. Congress led INDIA opposition front will now find it difficult to take on Radhakrishnan to the second highest post in the country, unless they too choose someone from Tamil Nadu. Otherwise, ruling DMK led by MK Stalin will find it tough to oppose a fellow Tamilian to the VP post
If Congress risks antogonising DMK on this issue, then the INDIA will land in trouble in projecting a united face ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly elections two years from now, in 2026. Really, Congress and INDIA leaders will have to be cautious on this matter. BJP top brass including defence minister Rajnath Singh and coal minister Kishan Reddy are expected to reach out to DMK leadership in a day or two. It is to be seen how CM Stalin will respond to their request to support Radhakrishnan, a Tamilian and an OBC leader from his state.
Given NDA’s numbers in the parliament, Radhakrishan will comfortably win the election. So, will DMK is ready to be seen as a party that opposed to a Tamil leader’s rise to the second highest post of the country? We need to wait and watch in the next two days. August 21 is the last date for filing of nominations for the VP post. Polling will be held on September 9.
Radhakrishnan’s background
Maharashtra governor and senior BJP leader CP Radhakrishnan, who started his political journey as an RSS swayamsevak, was on Sunday named the NDA’s candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election. The announcement was made by BJP national president and Union Minister JP Nadda, following the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21 citing health reasons.
Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan began his public life as an RSS swayamsevak and rose to become a State Executive Committee member of the Bharatiya Janasangh in 1974. A two-time Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore (1998 and 1999), Radhakrishnan held key parliamentary roles, including Chairman of the Standing Committee on Textiles and member of committees on PSUs and Finance.
He was also part of a parliamentary delegation to the UN General Assembly (2004) and the first Indian delegation to Taiwan. In Tamil Nadu, he rose to prominence as the state BJP president (2004–2007), during which he undertook a massive 19,000 km, 93-day ‘Ratha Yatra’. Radhakrishnan also made a mark in public administration. As Chairman of the Coir Board (2016–2020), he oversaw record exports worth Rs 2,532 crore. He later served as the BJP’s All India in-charge for Kerala (2020–2022).
In 2023, he was appointed Governor of Jharkhand, where within his first four months, he travelled to all the 24 districts, interacting with citizens and district officials. In July 2024, he took charge as Governor of Maharashtra, and had earlier been given additional responsibilities as Governor of Telangana and Lt. Governor of Puducherry.
With over four decades of experience in politics and governance, CP Radhakrishnan is widely seen as a seasoned leader with deep roots in Tamil Nadu’s polity and the BJP’s organisational structure..
