BJP Picks Maha Guv Radhakrishnan As V-P Candidate; Puts DMK In A Spot?

In a surprise pick the BJP-led NDA announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the Vice-Presidential election to be held next month. He would be the second leader from Tamil Nadu after President R Venkataraman to preside over the Rajya Sabha as its chairman. His elevation would be significant as it would come on the eve of Tamil Nadu assembly elections next year.  Radhakrishnan belongs to the dominant Gounder community just as AIADMK chief Edapadi K Palaniswami and former TN BJP chief K Annamalai. The candidate choice could pose a problem for the DMK which has 29 Lok Sabha MPs and 10 Rajya Sabha MPs. It surely can’t be seen voting against a Tamil candidate and may have to back the NDA choice. After all, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had voted for President Droupadi Murmu in 2022 because she was the first tribal candidate for presidency even though she was NDA’s choice. Radhakrishan’s announcement was made at the end of the BJP parliamentary board meeting, which was attended by top party leaders, including PM Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah. Radhakrishnan’s choice for the high office is interesting as it comes a year after he was sworn in as Maharashtra Governor on July 31, 2024. Before serving as Maharashtra Governor, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand for nearly one and a half years. Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur in TN, the Maharashtra Governor has been a member of the RSS and served as the State Executive Committee Member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1974.