NEW DELHI — The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Maharashtra governor C.P. Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the Vice President of India. The announcement was made by BJP national president J.P. Nadda following a parliamentary board meeting on Sunday, a gathering that included Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The Vice Presidential election is scheduled for September 9, with the last date for filing nominations set for August 22.
The announcement comes weeks after the sudden resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who stepped down last month citing health reasons. Dhankhar’s resignation had left the ruling alliance scrambling to find a suitable successor who could command respect across the political spectrum.
During the press conference, Nadda stated that the NDA would reach out to the opposition to seek their support in ensuring an unopposed election for the post. “We will talk to the opposition as well. We should also get their support so that together we can ensure an unopposed election for the post of Vice President,” Nadda said.
Who is C.P. Radhakrishnan?
C.P. Radhakrishnan, 67, is a veteran politician with a long and diverse career in public service. Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, he has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since a young age and served as a State Executive Committee Member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1974.
He is a two-time Member of Parliament, having been elected to the Lok Sabha from the Coimbatore constituency in 1998 and 1999. During his time in Parliament, he served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Textiles and was a member of other key committees, including the one that investigated the Stock Exchange Scam.
In recent years, he has served as a Governor in two states. He was appointed Governor of Jharkhand in February 2023 and, in a brief period, was given additional responsibilities as the Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. He assumed the role of Governor of Maharashtra on July 31, 2024, just a few weeks before being nominated for the Vice President’s post.
The Vice President of India is the second-highest constitutional office in the country. The Vice President serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Parliament) and acts as the President in the event of a vacancy in the President’s office due to death, resignation, or other reasons.