‘Keep in mind what happened to Dhankhar’: Opposition leaders’ advice to NDA’s Vice Presidential pick CP Radhakrishnan

The announcement of Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as the NDA’s candidate for the Vice Presidential election 2025, scheduled for September 9, has triggered a wave of reactions, with ruling alliance leaders welcoming the move.

However, the Opposition has raised concerns over the BJP allegedly trying to bring another RSS man into a constitutional office. Some leaders even reminded Radhakrishnan of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned under the cloud of political speculation.

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Congratulating Radhakrishnan, NCP-SCP leader Rohit Pawar advised him to keep in mind what happened to Dhankhar.

“CP Radhakrishnan is close to the RSS and BJP. He was deliberately sent to Maharashtra. Now he is being made vice president. We congratulate him. But he should also keep in mind what happened with Dhankhar Sahab,” Pawar said.

Dhankhar’s resignation, according to Rohit, was triggered by his decision to accept an Opposition motion without informing the Centre, which irked the ruling party.

However, in his official resignation letter, Dhankhar cited health reasons for stepping down. Following his resignation, the Opposition claimed that the former vice president appeared to be in good health and suggested that there was more to his resignation than met the eye.

Radhakrishnan, an RSS man hailing from Tamil Nadu, is currently serving as Maharashtra Governor and was announced on Sunday by BJP chief JP Nadda as the NDA’s candidate for the post of Vice President.

His nomination is also being seen as a strategic move by the BJP to strengthen its foothold in the southern state, where the saffron party has a limited presence.

Also reacting to his nomination, DMK leader TKS Elangovan said he is an RSS man, and his nomination for the vice president’s post must be viewed politically, not through the lens of language.

Referring to the Dhankhar episode, Elangovan added, “I don’t know why the poor man (CP Radhakrishnan) has accepted it. They are still searching for the former vice president who resigned from his post earlier; they don’t know where he is now. That situation should not come to CP Radhakrishnan.”