Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a member of the RSS and a senior BJP leader, was on Tuesday elected as the 15th Vice President of India. At 67, Radhakrishnan becomes the third leader from Tamil Nadu to occupy the country’s second-highest constitutional post. He is succeeding Jagdeep Dhankhar, whose sudden resignation on July 21 caught political circles off guard.
The numbers have been favouring Radhakrishnan and he was widely expected to win given the support the BJP and its allies enjoy in parliament. He polled 452 of the 752 valid preferential votes that were cast, said Rajya Sabha Secretary-General PC Mody. Opposition INDIA bloc’s candidate B Sudershan Reddy received 300 votes in the polls.
Who is CP Radhakrishnan?
Soft-spoken and non-confrontational in temperament, Radhakrishnan has long been seen as a steady presence within the BJP. Well-wishers often describe him as a “Pachai Tamizhan”, a true-blue Tamil, who combines deep cultural rootedness with political experience. Until his nomination, he was serving as the Governor of Maharashtra.
Radhakrishnan’s political journey began in the 1970s when, as a teenager, he joined the RSS and steadily rose through its ranks. By 1974, he was already a state executive committee member of the Bharatiya Janasangh. A member of the Kongu Vellalar Gounder community, which holds social and economic clout in western Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan emerged as an organisational pillar of the BJP in the state.
He became the party’s Tamil Nadu secretary in 1996 and later served as its state unit president between 2003 and 2006.
His national political career took off during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee years, when he was elected twice to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore. At one point, he came close to joining the Union Cabinet, but an unusual mix-up — his name being confused with fellow Tamil leader Pon Radhakrishnan — meant he was overlooked for the position in 1998. Nevertheless, he remained a loyal party organiser, often called upon to manage difficult assignments.
Activist and sportsman CP Radhakrishnan
Radhakrishnan also left a mark through his activism. As state BJP president, he spearheaded a 19,000-km ‘Rath Yatra’ across Tamil Nadu between 2004 and 2007. Over 93 days, the campaign highlighted causes dear to both the RSS and BJP: river-linking projects, the eradication of untouchability, a uniform civil code, countering terrorism and tackling narcotics.
A sports enthusiast in his younger days, he was a college-level champion in table tennis and a long-distance runner. He also played cricket and volleyball.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, endorsing his nomination, praised his diverse experience: “Thiru 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. These experiences ensured that he has vast knowledge of legislative and Constitutional matters. I am confident he will be an inspiring Vice President.”
Political career
Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. His five-decade-long association with the RSS and the BJP has seen him shoulder organisational, electoral and constitutional responsibilities. His political experience will be tested in India’s increasingly charged parliamentary climate.