The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate for the Vice Presidential election. This decision follows the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar last month, who stepped down citing health concerns, creating a sudden vacancy in one of the nation’s top constitutional posts.

Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Chandrapuram Ponnuswamy Radhakrishnan has been a long-time leader of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. He served as the state BJP president from 2003 to 2006 and has been elected as a Member of Parliament twice. His career has been marked by dedication to grassroots politics and his focus on empowering marginalised communities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him on X, noting that Radhakrishnan’s humility, intellect, and long-standing service make him a distinguished public servant.

Radhakrishnan’s political journey includes key constitutional appointments in recent years. He assumed charge as the Governor of Maharashtra on July 31, 2024. Prior to this, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand from February 2023 to July 2024. During this tenure, he also held additional charges as the Governor of Telangana (March–July 2024) and as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry (March–August 2024). These diverse roles highlight his administrative experience and ability to manage complex governance responsibilities across states.

NDA leaders have already extended their support to Radhakrishnan, including Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Jayant Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Pawan Kalyan of the Jana Sena Party, N. Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party, and Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha. Even opposition leaders have acknowledged his non-controversial image, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut calling him “a very good personality with valuable experience.”

The Election Commission of India announced on August 7 that the Vice Presidential election will take place on September 9, 2025. The notice detailed the timeline for filing nomination papers and withdrawal dates. Radhakrishnan is likely to attend the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday as part of the election campaign preparations. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc has confirmed it will contest the election, although it has yet to announce its candidate.

Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation sparked speculation in political circles, with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh suggesting there could be more behind the move than health reasons alone. Despite this, the BJP has moved quickly to field an experienced and respected leader. With wide NDA backing and support even from some opposition voices, CP Radhakrishnan is emerging as the frontrunner to become India’s next Vice President.