CP Radhakrishnan - all you need to know
10 Sep 2025 11:03:22
Maharashtra Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan has been chosen as the new Vice President of India, succeeding Jagdeep Dhankhar. The NDA nominee secured 452 first-preference votes against the Opposition candidate, Justice (Retd.) B. Sudershan Reddy’s 300, in an election that saw notable cross-voting and one of the narrowest margins in recent vice-presidential contests.
Out of 754 votes cast, 15 were declared invalid. Returning Officer PV Mody confirmed that Radhakrishnan emerged with a 150-vote lead. For perspective, Dhankhar’s 2022 victory against Margaret Alva had been far more decisive, with a record margin of 346 votes.
The results suggest cracks within Opposition ranks. Although the Congress claimed that 315 Opposition MPs voted together, their nominee fell short by 15 votes. Conversely, Radhakrishnan received 14 votes above the NDA’s expected tally of 438, indicating cross-party support.
The Vice President’s post became vacant after Dhankhar resigned on health grounds during the Monsoon Session.
Who is CP Radhakrishnan?
Born in October 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan began his public life early, joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at 16. By 1974, he had entered the Bharatiya Jana Sangh’s state executive, laying the foundation for a lifelong political journey with the Sangh Parivar and later the BJP.
His national prominence grew in 1998 when he won the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat in the charged aftermath of the Coimbatore bombings. He retained the seat in 1999 and went on to chair the Standing Committee on Textiles, while also serving on committees for Finance, Public Sector Undertakings, and the Stock Exchange scam probe. His global exposure included representing India at the UN General Assembly in 2003 and joining the country’s first parliamentary delegation to Taiwan in 2004.
In 2004, Radhakrishnan was appointed president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, a position he held until 2007. During his tenure, he launched a 93-day, 19,000 km Ratha Yatra to campaign for river interlinking, the eradication of untouchability, counter-terrorism measures, and the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code.
He later undertook two more padyatras, further establishing his reputation as a leader connected to grassroots concerns. His organisational skills and ideological commitment played a key role in strengthening the BJP’s presence in Tamil Nadu, a state where the party has traditionally struggled to gain ground. Radhakrishnan contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019 without success, but continued to hold key organisational roles. He served as the BJP’s in-charge for Kerala between 2020 and 2022 and, earlier in 2016, as Chairman of the Coir Board, where he oversaw record exports worth ₹2,532 crore.
In 2023, while serving as Jharkhand Governor, Radhakrishnan strongly countered Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call for the “annihilation” of Sanatan Dharma — a statement that had already triggered outrage across the country. He warned that those seeking to destroy Hindu traditions would “perish by their own act,” dismissing Udhayanidhi as “a child” meddling in matters beyond his grasp. His sharp rebuttal was welcomed by many as a principled stand in defence of faith and tradition, even as political opponents tried to criticise his tone.
His appointment as Governor coincided with BJP state president K. Annamalai’s growing influence in Coimbatore and the broader Kongu region, signalling the party’s continued recognition of Radhakrishnan’s political weight even as younger leaders began occupying the same space.
For many within the BJP, his governorship in Jharkhand was seen as a reward for years of service to both the party and the RSS. His subsequent transfer to Maharashtra in July 2024, followed by his nomination for the Vice Presidency, reflects a clear upward trajectory. Unlike some BJP-appointed Governors, such as R. N. Ravi in Tamil Nadu — often accused of crossing into partisan politics — Radhakrishnan has generally sought to project neutrality.
As Maharashtra Governor, a role he assumed after the NDA’s underwhelming Lok Sabha performance and just ahead of Assembly elections, he has largely avoided controversy. His tenure in the Raj Bhavan has been marked by cordial relations across party lines. Even when the contentious Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill was introduced, he met with Opposition leaders who requested his intervention and listened to their concerns before making a decision.
Radhakrishnan, now elected as the vice-president, is reflective of the BJP’s bid to align with Tamil identity. Party leaders framed his candidature as a test for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), with BJP youth wing president S.G. Suryah asking if the DMK would support “a Tamil” for the post.
Out of 754 votes cast, 15 were declared invalid. Returning Officer PV Mody confirmed that Radhakrishnan emerged with a 150-vote lead. For perspective, Dhankhar’s 2022 victory against Margaret Alva had been far more decisive, with a record margin of 346 votes.
The results suggest cracks within Opposition ranks. Although the Congress claimed that 315 Opposition MPs voted together, their nominee fell short by 15 votes. Conversely, Radhakrishnan received 14 votes above the NDA’s expected tally of 438, indicating cross-party support.
The Vice President’s post became vacant after Dhankhar resigned on health grounds during the Monsoon Session.
Who is CP Radhakrishnan?
Born in October 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan began his public life early, joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at 16. By 1974, he had entered the Bharatiya Jana Sangh’s state executive, laying the foundation for a lifelong political journey with the Sangh Parivar and later the BJP.
His national prominence grew in 1998 when he won the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat in the charged aftermath of the Coimbatore bombings. He retained the seat in 1999 and went on to chair the Standing Committee on Textiles, while also serving on committees for Finance, Public Sector Undertakings, and the Stock Exchange scam probe. His global exposure included representing India at the UN General Assembly in 2003 and joining the country’s first parliamentary delegation to Taiwan in 2004.
In 2004, Radhakrishnan was appointed president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, a position he held until 2007. During his tenure, he launched a 93-day, 19,000 km Ratha Yatra to campaign for river interlinking, the eradication of untouchability, counter-terrorism measures, and the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code.
He later undertook two more padyatras, further establishing his reputation as a leader connected to grassroots concerns. His organisational skills and ideological commitment played a key role in strengthening the BJP’s presence in Tamil Nadu, a state where the party has traditionally struggled to gain ground. Radhakrishnan contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019 without success, but continued to hold key organisational roles. He served as the BJP’s in-charge for Kerala between 2020 and 2022 and, earlier in 2016, as Chairman of the Coir Board, where he oversaw record exports worth ₹2,532 crore.
In 2023, while serving as Jharkhand Governor, Radhakrishnan strongly countered Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call for the “annihilation” of Sanatan Dharma — a statement that had already triggered outrage across the country. He warned that those seeking to destroy Hindu traditions would “perish by their own act,” dismissing Udhayanidhi as “a child” meddling in matters beyond his grasp. His sharp rebuttal was welcomed by many as a principled stand in defence of faith and tradition, even as political opponents tried to criticise his tone.
His appointment as Governor coincided with BJP state president K. Annamalai’s growing influence in Coimbatore and the broader Kongu region, signalling the party’s continued recognition of Radhakrishnan’s political weight even as younger leaders began occupying the same space.
For many within the BJP, his governorship in Jharkhand was seen as a reward for years of service to both the party and the RSS. His subsequent transfer to Maharashtra in July 2024, followed by his nomination for the Vice Presidency, reflects a clear upward trajectory. Unlike some BJP-appointed Governors, such as R. N. Ravi in Tamil Nadu — often accused of crossing into partisan politics — Radhakrishnan has generally sought to project neutrality.
As Maharashtra Governor, a role he assumed after the NDA’s underwhelming Lok Sabha performance and just ahead of Assembly elections, he has largely avoided controversy. His tenure in the Raj Bhavan has been marked by cordial relations across party lines. Even when the contentious Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill was introduced, he met with Opposition leaders who requested his intervention and listened to their concerns before making a decision.
Radhakrishnan, now elected as the vice-president, is reflective of the BJP’s bid to align with Tamil identity. Party leaders framed his candidature as a test for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), with BJP youth wing president S.G. Suryah asking if the DMK would support “a Tamil” for the post.