The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has nominated Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election, scheduled for September 9, 2025. The announcement was made on Sunday by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President J.P. Nadda following the party's Parliamentary Board meeting in New Delhi. Nadda stated that the decision to nominate Radhakrishnan was unanimous among the alliance partners.
Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, born on October 20, 1957, has had a long and varied political career. He is currently serving as the 24th Governor of Maharashtra, a position he assumed on July 31, 2024. Prior to this, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand from February 2023 to July 2024, and also held additional charge as the Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry between March and July 2024.
Radhakrishnan's political journey began with associations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Jan Sangh from the age of 16. He was elected twice to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore, winning in both the 1998 and 1999 general elections as a member of the BJP. In 1998, he won by a margin of over 150,000 votes, and in 1999, by a margin of 55,000 votes. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1998 to 2004. During his time in Parliament, he was a member of the Committee on Commerce, the Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme, and the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for Finance.
From 2004 to 2007, Radhakrishnan served as the state president of the BJP for Tamil Nadu. During his presidency, he undertook a 93-day "rath yatra" (chariot journey) advocating for linking Indian rivers, eradicating untouchability, and campaigning against terrorism in India. In 2014, he was part of the first parliamentary delegation to Taiwan representing the Indian government. In 2020, he was appointed the BJP Prabhari (In-charge) for Kerala, a position he held until 2022. He also served as the chairman of the All India Coir Board, under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, from 2016 to 2020. Until recently, he was a National Executive Member of the BJP.
The Election Commission has announced that the polling for the Vice Presidential election will be held on September 9, with the vote count also scheduled for the same day. The last date for filing nominations is August 21, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until August 25. The Vice Presidential post became vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on July 21, citing health reasons.
J.P. Nadda expressed hope that opposition parties would support the NDA candidate. He emphasized that the NDA seeks a unanimous election for the Vice President and has reached out to the opposition in this regard. Nadda described Radhakrishnan as a statesman who commands respect across all sections of society in Tamil Nadu. Radhakrishnan's extensive political experience, including his roles as a Member of Parliament, state BJP president, and Governor, positions him as a prominent figure in Indian politics.
