NDA announces CP Radhakrishnan as candidate for Vice Presidential election

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan as its Vice Presidential (VP) candidate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the VP candidate's ground-level work, "In his long years in public life, CP Radhakrishnan has distinguished himself with his dedication, humility and intellect. He has always focused on community service and empowering the marginalised. He has done extensive work at the grassroots in Tamil Nadu," the PM wrote on social media site X.

"CP Radhakrishnan Ji has rich experience as MP and Governor of various states. His Parliamentary interventions were always incisive. During his gubernatorial tenures, he focused on addressing challenges faced by common citizens. I am confident he will be an inspiring Vice President." PM Modi added.

Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post, citing health reasons and the need to follow medical advice, on July 21. The resignation was addressed to the President of India.

“To prioritise healthcare and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution,” Dhankhar wrote in his letter to the President.

On August 7, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had authorised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda to select the ruling bloc’s Vice Presidential candidate. He stated that the decision was taken unanimously.

The announcement followed a meeting of senior BJP leaders and NDA allies at Parliament. The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda, JD(U) leader Lalan Singh, Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, TDP’s Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan.

Political stints

CP Radhakrishnan, born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, is currently serving as the 24th Governor of Maharashtra. He assumed office on July 31, 2024, after previously serving as the Governor of Jharkhand from February 2023 to July 2024. In 2024, he also held additional charges as the Governor of Telangana and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

Radhakrishnan began his political career as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker and was part of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh’s Tamil Nadu executive in 1974. He was elected twice as a Member of Parliament from Coimbatore in 1998 and 1999. Between 2004 and 2007, he served as the Tamil Nadu State President of the BJP.

In addition to political responsibilities, Radhakrishnan was Chairman of the Coir Board, Kochi, from 2016 to 2020. From 2020 to 2022, he was the BJP’s All-India in-charge for Kerala.

Vice Presidential election

The Vice President of India is chosen through an indirect election, conducted by an electoral college consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Unlike the Presidential election, members of state legislatures do not participate in this process. The election follows the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, where members rank candidates in order of preference. A candidate must secure a majority of the valid votes cast to be elected.

Apart from being the second-highest constitutional authority in the country, the Vice President plays a crucial role as the ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.