The NDA’s nomination of Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan for the post of vice president has set off a fresh political churn in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK, according to sources, has suggested that the INDIA bloc should field its own vice-presidential candidate from Tamil Nadu to counter the NDA’s nominee.
The ruling party in the state has described the NDA’s choice as a political move aimed at influencing the 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. While NDA leaders, including AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami, have rallied behind Radhakrishnan, urging all MPs from Tamil Nadu to support him, the DMK has argued that Radhakrishnan’s nomination is not about representation but optics, carefully timed with the state’s upcoming elections.
According to sources, the DMK wants the INDIA bloc to project its own candidate from Tamil Nadu to counter what it sees as the NDA’s attempt to claim political mileage. The proposal is expected to be discussed in INDIA bloc’s meeting today, with the DMK pressing for a unified stand.
Who is CP Radhakrishnan – NDA’s VP pick
CP Radhakrishnan has been announced as the NDA’s candidate for the Vice Presidential election. The nomination was confirmed by BJP national president and Union Minister JP Nadda on Sunday, who said that Radhakrishnan commands respect in all sections of society in Tamil Nadu as a statesman.
With more than four decades of experience, CP Radhakrishnan has served as a two-term MP from Coimbatore. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Coimbatore in 1998 and then re-elected to Lok Sabha in 1999. During his tenure as an MP, he served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Textiles.
Between 2004 and 2007, Radhakrishnan served as the State President of the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
On February 18, 2023, he was appointed as the Governor of Jharkhand. A year later, he was sworn in as the Governor of Maharashtra on July 31, 2024.