Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday felicitated Maharashtra Governor and NDA’s Vice Presidential nominee CP Radhakrishnan during the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting in the national capital.
Who is CP Radhakrishnan?
Born on October 20, 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandrapuram Ponnuswamy Radhakrishnan began his political journey as a teenager with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which shaped his ideological outlook. Moving on to the BJP, he represented Coimbatore in the Lok Sabha twice and also led the party’s Tamil Nadu unit between 2004 and 2007. With deep association with both the RSS and the BJP, he has been a key figure in the party’s presence in South India.
Radhakrishnan is currently serving as the 24th Governor of Maharashtra. He assumed the post on July 31, 2024. Prior to this, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand from February 2023 to July 2024, and also held the additional charge of Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry during this period.
Why did the NDA choose him?
The BJP-led NDA’s decision to field Radhakrishnan for the vice-presidential election is being seen as a strategic outreach to Tamil Nadu, where assembly elections are due in 2026. By nominating an experienced leader with strong regional and organisational credentials, the alliance hopes to strengthen its connect with the southern state.
India Bloc candidate
Meanwhile, the India Alliance of opposition parties is likely to announce its joint vice-presidential candidate on Tuesday after internal deliberations.
Why are vice-presidential elections being held?
The election for the post of vice-president is scheduled to be held on September 9, 2025. The election became necessary after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post, citing health reasons, last month. Dhankhar had submitted his resignation on July 21 with the start of the monsoon session of Parliament.
