CP Radhakrishnan Named NDA's Vice President Candidate; BJP's Strategic Move Ahead of Tamil Nadu Polls

Agencies, August 17, 2025, New Delhi : The NDA candidate for the post of Vice President is CP Radhakrishnan — the Governor of Maharashtra and one of the party's tallest leaders from Tamil Nadu — the BJP announced Sunday, weeks after the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar. He is expected to face off with the Opposition candidate on September 9, but given the NDA numbers, appears to be standing on the threshold of victory.

"Mr. Radhakrishnan has a 40-year experience in politics and wore many hats," said BJP chief JP Nadda, making the announcement this evening after a meeting with the NDA parliamentary party.

"We hope the Vice President's election will take place through consensus. We have spoken to many parties, and while the opposition said they would decide after our announcement, we are hopeful of wider support," he told reporters. The BJP, he added, will speak to the Opposition leaders to ensure a "smooth election".

Mr. Radhakrishnan has also been the Governor of Jharkhand, held additional charge of Pondicherry, has been a two-term MP from Coimbatore, and headed the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP.

With the combined strength of both houses standing at 786, the majority mark is 394. The NDA's combined strength in the two houses is 422 — 293 members in the Lok Sabha and 129 in the Rajya Sabha.

PM Modi’s Endorsement

In a post on X, PM Modi said Mr. Radhakrishnan has done extensive work at the grassroots level in Tamil Nadu and he was glad that the NDA family has decided to nominate him as the Vice Presidential candidate of the alliance.

"In his long years in public life, Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji has distinguished himself with his dedication, humility, and intellect," Modi said in a post on X.

"During the various positions he has held, he has always focused on community service and empowering the marginalised," the Prime Minister said.

Earlier, the BJP parliamentary board nominated Radhakrishnan as the NDA candidate for Vice President.

BJP’s Political Messaging

The new candidate's background has sent off multiple signals — beginning with his Tamil heritage.

His choice — coming ahead of next year’s election in Tamil Nadu — is expected to send a signal to the people of the state, where the BJP is yet to build a niche for itself. It is also expected to be a googly for the Dravidian parties — the ruling DMK and the Opposition AIADMK — which have so far kept a firm grip on the state.

The BJP's move to introduce a three-language curriculum has put the party in a particularly dubious position in Tamil Nadu, where the ruling DMK is spearheading the agitation against what it calls "Hindi imposition".

Calling it a "strategic and a clever move", AIADMK's Kovai Sathyan said it "shows the inclusive attitude of BJP".

Asked if the matter will change electoral realities in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Sathyan said this could be called "another way of giving a checkmate to those people who try to play the part of divisive politics, peddling fake narratives and fake news peddlers from the DMK".

The DMK said, "Projecting a Tamilian is not pro–Tamil Nadu."

"The BJP," said DMK's TKS Elangovan, "is against Tamil Nadu. They are not giving proper funds... Even for education, they are not giving funds. For everything, they are not supporting Tamil Nadu in all terms."

Big Change from Jagdeep Dhankhar

Mr. Radhakrishnan is also poles apart from Jagdeep Dhankhar, who had to step down under BJP pressure after multiple controversies.

Mr. Dhankhar, the outspoken former Governor of Bengal, made headlines with his rows with the ruling Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. As Vice President, his comments about the judiciary and strong hand with the Opposition made headlines.

Mr. Radhakrishnan, from the age of 17, has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — the ideological mentor of the BJP and the Jan Sangh, the party's precursor.

He was close to former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee and is said to be familiar with the working style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His exposure to the world outside of politics — he was India's first exporter of knitted cotton to Bangladesh — and method of working through consensus and statesmanship is known across party lines.

Reactions from Tamil Nadu 

While DMK sources told that the party would not support the NDA candidate, the party spokesperson said, "Happy that someone from Tamil Nadu has been named. The representation of South in the central government is lacking. Would expect him to be more fair in Rajya Sabha if he gets elected," he said.