Digital Desk, New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election. The decision was finalized during the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting held to select the party’s nominee for the post.
Chandrapuram Ponnuswamy Radhakrishnan is the current Governor of Maharashtra, having taken oath on 31 July 2024. Before this role, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand for nearly one and a half years. During his tenure in Jharkhand, he was also given additional charge as the Governor of Telangana and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry by the President of India.
Has a long association with RSS
CP Radhakrishnan has had a long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is a well-regarded figure in Tamil Nadu’s political and public life with over four decades of experience. Born on 20 October 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He began his journey as an RSS volunteer and, in 1974, became a member of the state executive of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Rising steadily within the BJP, he was appointed Secretary of the Tamil Nadu unit in 1996. Two years later, in 1998, he entered Parliament by winning the Lok Sabha seat from Coimbatore and was re-elected in 1999.
He was also a member of several parliamentary committees
During his tenure as a Member of Parliament, Radhakrishnan served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Textiles. He was also part of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and the Consultative Committee on Finance. In addition, he was a member of the Special Parliamentary Committee set up to investigate the Stock Exchange Scam.
In 2004, Radhakrishnan represented India at the United Nations General Assembly as part of a parliamentary delegation. He was also included in the first-ever parliamentary delegation to Taiwan.
Served as Tamil Nadu BJP President
Radhakrishnan served as the Tamil Nadu BJP state president from 2004 to 2007. During his tenure, he embarked on a 19,000-kilometre ‘Rath Yatra’ that spanned 93 days, raising issues such as interlinking of rivers, elimination of terrorism, implementation of a Uniform Civil Code, eradication of untouchability, and tackling the drug menace. In addition, he led two more padayatras to highlight other causes.
In 2016, Radhakrishnan was appointed Chairman of the Kochi-based Coir Board, a post he held for four years. During his tenure, India’s coir exports touched a record high of ₹2,532 crore. From 2020 to 2022, he also served as the All India In-charge of the Kerala BJP.
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He became the Governor of Jharkhand in 2023
Radhakrishnan was appointed Governor of Jharkhand on February 18, 2023. Within his first four months in office, he toured all 24 districts of the state, engaging with citizens as well as district officials.
Also interested in sports
Radhakrishnan was also an active sportsperson, excelling as a college-level table tennis champion and a long-distance runner. He had a keen interest in cricket and volleyball as well.
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