The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officially put forward the name of senior leader and current Jharkhand Governor, CP Radhakrishnan, as its nominee for the post of Vice-President of India during the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting held on Sunday. The decision comes in the wake of the vacancy created after Jagdeep Dhankhar tendered his resignation from the Vice-President’s office last month. With the announcement of Radhakrishnan’s candidature, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has moved swiftly to consolidate its position for the upcoming election.
In a significant gesture of bipartisan goodwill, Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut extended his support and appreciation for Radhakrishnan’s nomination. Speaking on Friday, Raut praised the BJP leader’s long-standing contribution to public life, describing him as a person of integrity, experience, and non-controversial standing. He further remarked that Radhakrishnan’s reputation and character have earned him respect across the political spectrum, adding that he sincerely wished him well for the forthcoming election.
The resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar last month had left the Vice-President’s office vacant, creating an urgent need for the ruling party to identify a strong candidate capable of carrying forward the responsibilities of the role. The BJP leadership, after deliberations within its highest decision-making body, found CP Radhakrishnan to be the most suitable figure given his decades of administrative, organizational, and political experience. His nomination is expected to give the NDA a clear advantage, especially as the opposition alliance, known as the INDIA bloc, is still in the process of finalizing its own candidate. Reports suggest that the bloc will hold an internal meeting next week to take a final decision on its nominee.
Radhakrishnan’s journey in public life spans more than forty years, during which he has played multiple roles within the political landscape of Tamil Nadu. Born on 20 October 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, he pursued higher education and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration before dedicating himself to public service. His entry into political and social work began in his youth when he volunteered for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which laid the foundation for his future leadership roles.
By 1974, Radhakrishnan had already assumed greater responsibilities, becoming a member of the State Executive Committee of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh in Tamil Nadu. His organizational skills and commitment to the party’s ideology earned him recognition, and in 1996, he was elevated to the position of Secretary of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party. His influence continued to grow as he worked tirelessly to strengthen the BJP’s presence in a state where regional parties traditionally held dominance.
Between 2004 and 2007, Radhakrishnan served as the BJP State President in Tamil Nadu, a role in which he spearheaded several large-scale initiatives. Among his most notable efforts was the 93-day, 19,000-kilometer Ratha Yatra, which addressed a wide range of pressing issues. The campaign sought to raise awareness about the need to interlink rivers for better water management, promote social harmony by eradicating untouchability, advocate for a uniform civil code, highlight measures to combat terrorism, and draw attention to the dangers of drug abuse. These initiatives demonstrated his ability to connect political activism with social reform, reinforcing his credibility as a leader with vision and purpose.
His steady rise in politics eventually led to his appointment as the Governor of Jharkhand, where he brought the same dedication to governance that had characterized his earlier roles. Over the years, Radhakrishnan’s career has come to symbolize perseverance, organizational capability, and a consistent focus on national and social issues. It is this extensive background that the BJP and the NDA are banking upon as he prepares to contest the Vice-President’s election, a role that carries immense constitutional responsibility as well as the crucial task of presiding over the Rajya Sabha.
