Maharashtra Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan has been named the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate for the Vice President’s post.
The announcement was made on Sunday after a BJP parliamentary board meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Radhakrishnan, 67, is a veteran BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with a long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
He won the Lok Sabha elections twice from Coimbatore in 1998 and 1999 but later lost three consecutive contests from the same constituency. His supporters often refer to him as the “Modi of Tamil Nadu.”
He was sworn in as the Governor of Maharashtra on July 31, 2024. Earlier, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand for nearly one and a half years, with additional charge of Telangana and Puducherry.
Despite holding gubernatorial roles in different states, Radhakrishnan has continued visiting Tamil Nadu frequently. Just days ago, he attended events in the state and also met chief minister M.K. Stalin. Assembly elections are due in Tamil Nadu next year.
Prime Minister Modi said the NDA’s nominee has distinguished himself in public life. “In his long years in public life, Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji has distinguished himself with his dedication, humility and intellect,” he posted on X.
“During the various positions he has held, he has always focused on community service and empowering the marginalised,” PM Modi wrote.
Union home minister Amit Shah also congratulated him, saying, “I am sure your vast experience and wisdom will enhance the prestige of the Upper House and achieve new milestones. Gratitude to PM Shri @narendramodi Ji and all members of BJP Parliamentary Board for this decision.”
BJP president J.P. Nadda said Radhakrishnan’s name was finalised after extensive deliberations at the meeting chaired by the prime minister.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described him as a “veteran statesman who has diligently served the nation in numerous roles. Both as Governor and as Parliamentarian, serving the people was his foremost priority.”
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with his deputies Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, congratulated the governor.
“Heartiest Congratulations to Maharashtra Governor Hon. CP Radhakrishnan ji, on his selection as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the Vice President of India,” Fadnavis said.
Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He joined the RSS as a swayamsevak at 16 and became a state executive committee member of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh in 1974.
In 1996, he was appointed Secretary of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. As a Member of Parliament, he chaired and served on several parliamentary committees, including one investigating the stock market scam.
Between 2004 and 2007, he was state president of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, during which he undertook a 19,000-km ‘Ratha Yatra’ over 93 days.
The campaign focused on issues such as linking rivers, implementing a uniform civil code, eradicating untouchability, fighting terrorism, and tackling narcotic drugs.
From 2020 to 2022, he was the party’s all-India in-charge for Kerala. A sports enthusiast, he was a college champion in table tennis and long-distance running and also enjoys cricket and volleyball.
Radhakrishnan is credited with helping the BJP form a new alliance in Tamil Nadu in 2004 after the DMK ended its ties with the NDA.
