Opposition yet to name candidate, Maha Governor sure of win
New Delhi: In an astute political move, the BJP on Sunday named Maharashtra governor and a prominent political figure from Tamil Nadu C.P. Radhakrishnan as the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling NDA alliance. The BJP and its allies hold a significant majority in the vice-presidential electoral college to get their candidate elected. The Opposition bloc is yet to name its V-P nominee.
Radhakrishnan has his roots in the RSS and the Jana Sangh. An OBC, Radhakrishnan is said to have had good rapport with late DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi and his family. Incidentally, he had met DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin earlier this week to enquire about his health.
Also, days before Radhakrishnan met the Tamil Nadu CM, Thoothukudi MP and DMK parliamentary party leader M. Kanimozhi had met Modi, which she said was to discuss issues about her constituency and the state. Ms Kanimozhi is also the Tamil Nadu CM's sister. All eyes will be on how the DMK reacts to the NDA V-P pick.
Radhakrishnan's name was announced by BJP president J.P. Nadda after the party's parliamentary board meeting, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nadda said the NDA will reach out to the Opposition for supporting its candidate.
The NDA allies had authorised the PM and Nadda to choose the V-P nominee. The NDA leaders are scheduled to meet on Tuesday.
Congratulating the NDA V-P nominee, the PM said Radhakrishnan has rich experience as an MP and governor of various states. His parliamentary interventions were always incisive. He also mentioned the V-P nominee's vast knowledge of legislative and constitutional matters.
"I am confident he will be an inspiring vice-president," Modi said.
"In his long years in public life, Thiru C.P. 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," the PM posted on X.
Tamil Nadu is high on the BJP's radar. While the state politics is dominated by the Dravidian parties, the BJP's support and electoral base have been on the rise since 2014. Assembly polls are scheduled in the southern state next year.
During the last V-P polls, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had abstained when the NDA had named the then West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as its nominee and the Opposition had fielded senior Congress leader Margaret Alva against him.
In a surprise move, Dhankhar quit from the post on the first day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, necessitating the vice-presidential election, which is scheduled for September 9.
Radhakrishnan, who visited the famous Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai with his wife a few hours before his name was announced, thanked the PM, Nadda and the NDA leaders for nominating him.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh, it is learnt, will oversee the vice-presidential polls for the NDA, while parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju will be the polling agent. The last date for filing nomination is August 21. Chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of the NDA will be part of Radhakrishnan's nomination-filing exercise, besides the Prime Minister and Union ministers.
Apart from his association with the RSS, Mr Radhakrishnan was also with the Jana Sangh, the former avatar of the BJP. He is also a two-time MP and a former BJP chief of the Tamil Nadu unit. He is also given the credit for building ties with the AIADMK at a time when the BJP was at a nascent stage in Tamil Nadu.
Radhakrishnan had taken charge as Maharashtra governor last year on July 31. Earlier, he served as the governor of Jharkhand. He had also held additional charges as the governor of Telangana and the lieutenant-governor of Puducherry. He had represented Coimbatore in the Lok Sabha in 1998 and 1999. During his stint as the BJP Tamil Nadu chief in 2004, he had embarked on a rath yatra to demand interlinking of rivers and against untouchability and narcotics.
