Who is CP Radhakrishnan, NDA’s pick for Vice Presidential election

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday named CP Radhakrishnan as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate for the Vice-Presidential election, continuing its tradition of fielding serving governors for the post.

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan is currently serving as the Governor of Maharashtra. He was sworn in on 31st July 2024. Earlier, he also served as the Governor of Jharkhand and was given additional charge as Governor of Telangana and as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

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Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. His nomination is being viewed as a political move by the BJP, which is seeking to strengthen its foothold in Tamil Nadu ahead of the state elections scheduled next year.

With more than four decades of political experience, Radhakrishnan is regarded as a respected figure in Tamil Nadu politics. He began his political journey as an RSS Swayamsevak and, in 1974, became a member of the Tamil Nadu State Executive Committee of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

In 1996, he was appointed Secretary of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Radhakrishnan was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore in 1998 and was re-elected in 1999. As a Member of Parliament, he served on the Parliamentary Committee for Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), the Consultative Committee for Finance, and was part of the Special Parliamentary Committee investigating the Stock Exchange Scam.

Between 2004 and 2007, Radhakrishnan held the position of Tamil Nadu BJP President. He is also known for leading a 19,000 km ‘Ratha Yatra’ across the state during his tenure.