Who is CP Radhakrishnan? NDA's candidate for Vice President elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday (August 17) named Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate for the Vice President’s post. The decision was taken at the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting to finalise the party’s nominee. If elected, Radhakrishnan will replace former India's President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who stepped down last month due to some health concerns. According to some sources, Radhakrishnan is also likely to attend the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday (August 19).
The Election Commission has also announced that the voting for the new Vice President will be held on September 9. The last date for filing nomination forms is August 21 and scrutiny of documents will take place on August 22.

On Radhakrishnan's announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him on X, writing, “In his long years in public life, Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji has distinguished himself with his dedication, humility and intellect. During the various positions he has held, he has always focused on community service and empowering the marginalised. He has done extensive work at the grassroots in Tamil Nadu. I am glad that the NDA family has decided to nominate him as the Vice Presidential candidate of our alliance.”

Who is CP Radhakrishnan?

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was born on 20 October, 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu and he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

He is a long-time member of the RSS and was also a part of the Bharatiya Janasangh’s State Executive Committee in 1974. In the year 2004 to 2007, he served as the BJP’s Tamil Nadu State President. Radhakrishnan further took charge as Maharashtra Governor on 31 July, 2024. Before becoming the governor of the Maharashtra, earlier he served as Jharkhand Governor for nearly one and a half years.

Apart from the politics, Radhakrishnan has a keen interest in sports, as he was a college-level table tennis champion and a long-distance runner. He also enjoys playing cricket and volleyball, according to the Maharashtra Raj Bhavan website.