Rajnath Singh reached out to Stalin ahead of naming CPR as NDA’s VP nominee

Ahead of naming Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, hailing from Tamil Nadu, as the BJP-led NDA’s Vice-Presidential nominee, Defence Minister and BJP senior leader Rajnath Singh had reached out to DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin in an attempt to make the saffron party’s choice as a common candidate.

According to party sources, Singh had spoken to Stalin over the phone a few days ago to enlist the support of the Dravidian major for making CPR a common candidate in the election for Vice-President slated for September 9. Also, nominations for the election would close on August 21. However, Stalin had not made any commitment, the sources added.

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For the DMK and Stalin, it could be a tough call since the party is an important pillar in the INDIA Bloc and the party cannot stray away from its secular path and antagonise its allies – Congress, VCK, and the Left, as well as the Muslim parties and others in an election year. Opposing a candidate from Tamil Nadu might provide a campaign plank to the AIADMK and the BJP to paint the DMK as anti-Tamil.

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, CPR belongs to the influential and dominant OBC Goundar community concentrated in the Western region, known as the Kongu belt. The BJP, zeroing in on CPR, according to analysts, is to expand its base in that region. Already with an eye on spreading its wings in South Tamil Nadu, the saffron party has named Nainar Nagendran, from the dominant OBC Maravar community, as the state unit president. It had voted along with the BJP when APJ Abdul Kalam was in the race as the BJP’s candidate, then the party was a constituent of the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre.

In a statement, Nagendran had urged Stalin to support the candidature of CPR, a son of the soil, following the footsteps of former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik, who extended support to Draupadi Murmu, hailing from Odisha, in the Presidential election, keeping aside political differences. “Nomination of a proud Tamil and a senior leader from South India as the Vice-Presidential candidate is a great recognition for Tamil Nadu. I request the DMK as well as its president and Chief Minister brother @mkstalin to display the magnanimity and spirit of Naveen Patnaik by extending total support to son of the soil CPR,” he posted on ‘X’, adding that he was confident of Stalin’s support.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswamy (EPS) and leaders of other NDA constituents have called for extending support to CPR, cutting across party lines.