CP Radhakrishnan: Maharashtra Governor, BJP Veteran, and NDA’s Vice President Pick

Wood Work India
18 Aug, 2025


Let’s just dive right into it: C. P. Radhakrishnan—yeah, that’s “Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan”—is in the spotlight right now. Recently, the NDA named him as its vice president candidate, and honestly, it makes a lot of sense for them. He’s the Governor of Maharashtra with a reputation for being calm, steady, and pretty well-respected across party lines. (The Times of India, www.ndtv.com, Wikipedia)

Early Days in Tamil Nadu

So, here’s kind of the backstory. He’s from Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu—born in 1957—and got involved early, joining the RSS and later the Jan Sangh when he was just 17. That’s when he first cut his teeth in politics.(Wikipedia, The Times of India)

He’s got a BBA degree from V. O. Chidambaram College, and apparently, he was a pretty good table tennis player in college. It’s little details like that that make you go, oh, there’s another side to this person.(Wikipedia)

The Lok Sabha Chapter & BJP Leadership

Fast forward a bit—he gets elected to Lok Sabha from Coimbatore in 1998 and again in 1999. He also went on to become the Tamil Nadu state president for the BJP, from afrom2004 to 2006.(Wikipedia, The Economic Times)

That period, he’s really known for being a grassroots organizer—pan-India types talk about his padayatras (aka walking campaigns) and how he was kind of a “foot soldier” for the party. The party folks respect him for a no-fuss, non-controversial style. Even other parties seem to get along with him.(The Times of India, The Economic Times)

Governor Roles Across the Nation

Then he made the jump to constitutional roles. He served as Governor of Jharkhand and was later appointed as Governor of Maharashtra, starting in July 2024. He's also handled additional charges as Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of PuducherryHisim having multiple gubernatorial roles speaks to how the center trusts him with responsibilities. (Wikipedia, Raj Bhavan Maharashtra, The Times of India, The Economic Times, https://www.oneindia.com/)

Why Vice President, Why Now?

Why is the BJP picking him now? A few reasons seem to stand out:

  1. Tamil Nadu representation — he's one of the few from the state to be tapped for a high constitutional post (last VP from TN was RV Radhakrishnan back in the 8 '80s. (The Times of India, The Indian Express, The Economic Times)

  2. Appealing to the OBC demographic and the Gounder community — he belongs to that group, which the BJP hopes will help with support in political outreach across Tamil Nadu. (The Times of India, The Indian Express, The Economic Times)

  3. Clean, non-controversial image — everything points to him being steady, well-liked, and above petty politics.(The Times of India, The Economic Times)

After all, BP Nadda said he’s done a lot at the grassroots level. PM Modi met him personally and wished him we, l—calling him an inspiring and dedicated public servant.(www.ndtv.com, mint, The Times of India)

Mixed Reactions from the Opposition

Not everyone’s thrilled. The DMK, particularly one of their leaders, pointed out that Radhakrishnan might not bring much benefit to Tamil Nadu, and that their party will stick with the INDIA bloc’s choice, not the BJP’s pick. (Deccan Chronicle, The Economic Times)

So, regional dynamics matter, especially with elections around the corner in Tamil Nadu. Whether or not the BJP manages to crack that nut with this move remains to be seen.

Putting It All Together

Here’s a quick snapshot of his journey:

What It All Means

This feels like a strategic choice by the BJP—bringing in someone who represents not just experience and loyalty, but also regional balance. He’s not flashy. He’s not controversial. And these are traits parties love when they want someone to rally around with minimal fallout.

Now the elections are on September 9, and nerves are probably a bit tense in polling rooms. NDA has the numbers, but will they go for a cross-party consensus, or will the INDIA bloc oppose? Time will tell.

Let me know if you’d like me to shift the tone more towards local politics, expand on his Tamil Nadu connection, or weigh in on the VP race itself—it’s a juicy political moment, after all.

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