NDA seeks Kharge's support for VP pick CP Radhakrishnan
What's the story
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election, nearly a month after Jagdeep Dhankhar announced his resignation. The announcement was made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda after a Parliamentary Board meeting in New Delhi. The election will be held on September 9, under the supervision of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju as the election agent.
Election strategy
Hopes for unopposed election
BJP President Nadda has expressed hopes of an unopposed election, saying, "We should also get their support so that together we can ensure an unopposed election for the post of Vice President." The Opposition INDIA bloc is yet to announce its candidate. If they don't field a candidate before the August 21 deadline, Radhakrishnan will be elected unopposed.
Candidate profile
Who is CP Radhakrishnan?
Radhakrishnan, a veteran BJP leader, is currently the 24th Governor of Maharashtra. He has also served as the Governor of Jharkhand and held additional charges in Telangana and Puducherry. Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu, he started his political career at age 16 with RSS and Jan Sangh. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore twice before serving as the Tamil Nadu BJP State President.
Election details
Electoral process and timeline
The Vice Presidential election will be held by an electoral college comprising all members of both Houses of Parliament. The voting will be conducted through a secret ballot using a single transferable vote system. The last date for filing nominations is August 21, with candidates allowed to withdraw their nominations until August 25.