Who is VP candidate CP Radhakrishnan? Know about veteran leader
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Maharashtra Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election. The announcement was made by BJP chief and Union Minister JP Nadda at a press conference on Sunday evening. He said, "We want the next vice president to be elected unanimously. We have reached out to opposition leaders."
Political career
Who is Radhakrishnan
Radhakrishnan, a veteran BJP leader, was born in Tamil Nadu on October 20, 1957. He has been serving as the Governor of Maharashtra since July 2024, following a stint as the Governor of Jharkhand from February 2023 to July 2024. He also held additional charge as Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lieutenant Governor between March and July 2024. A two-time Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore, he was also Tamil Nadu BJP State President from 2004 to 2007.
Public service
His achievements as Tamil Nadu BJP chief
As Tamil Nadu BJP chief, Radhakrishnan undertook a 19,000km 'Ratha Yatra' over 93 days to push for river linking, anti-terrorism measures, a uniform civil code, and anti-drug campaigns. He also led two more Padayatras for different causes. His international exposure includes addressing the UN General Assembly in 2004 as part of a Parliamentary Delegation and being part of the first Parliamentary delegation to Taiwan.
Education and interests
His education and sports background
Radhakrishnan graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Chidambaram College, Coimbatore. Apart from his political career, he is also a sports enthusiast and was a college champion in table tennis and long-distance running. He also enjoyed cricket and volleyball. The Vice Presidential election was necessitated after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on July 21. The Election Commission has scheduled voting for September 9 with vote counting on the same day.