C.P. Radhakrishnan's V-P nomination: Decoding BJP's strategic move and sharp political messaging

After Venkaiah Naidu, Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan is all set to become the second leader from South India to hold the post of Vice President under the Narendra Modi government.

If Naidu, who served from 2017 to 2022, was elevated to the post because of his legislative experience and his tenure as the BJP's national president, Radhakrishnan's promotion serves as an important political message. It drives straight into the Opposition's polarising rhetoric of the North-South divide after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The ruling party’s decision aims to stress the point that the region is as important as the rest of the country in its expansion plans. The crucial assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, the state to which Radhakrishnan belongs, and Kerala, next year, also appear to have been instrumental in his selection.

The BJP, which has been facing the critical issue of picking up its national president—delayed due to multiple reasons—has now effectively ruled out a person from southern states as a likely choice.

After the ‘not so happy’ parting with Jagdeep Dhankar, who had come to the BJP from the Janata parivar, the BJP did not want to take any chances, especially when it was heading to politically choppy waters. It has picked up a committed party worker with a strong RSS and Jana Sangh background. Belonging to the influential Gounder caste in Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan was a two-time MP and has been the Governor of Maharashtra since 2023. So, unlike Dhankhar, the BJP has gone in for an ideologically committed leader for the post.

As Radhakrishnan belongs to the OBC community, it serves well into the BJP’s social engineering appeal, especially after the party approved the conduct of a caste census, demanded by the Opposition parties. How his elevation now impacts the changes in the party’s national organisation and the Union cabinet in terms of balancing other castes remains to be seen.

Sixty-seven-year-old Radhakrishnan has been the BJP's pillar in Tamil Nadu and was instrumental in his party's alliance with DMK and later with AIADMK. Being a former state party president, Radhakrishnan ticks many boxes. During his tenure as the state party chief, he had carried out yatras to hard-sell the ideological issues of the party, including linking of rivers. He also looked after party affairs in Kerala.

His nomination as NDA candidate is likely to put pressure on the southern parties, including DMK, in the INDIA bloc. After filing his nomination, Radhakrishnan is expected to reach out to all the parties canvassing for votes. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has praised Radhakrishan’s choice, as the latter was serving as Maharashtra governor. Before that, he also served as Jharkhand governor, thus giving him a likely appeal in the state parties.

Now, the ball is in the INDIA bloc’s court. The Opposition alliance is likely to field a joint candidate to make it an ideological battle. They may also look for a candidate from Andhra Pradesh or Bihar, the two states ruled by the BJP allies, TDP and JDU, respectively, who are crucial to the survival of the NDA. A candidate from one of these states could put pressure on the TDP and the JDU.

In terms of numbers, the victory of the NDA candidate is a foregone conclusion. Radhakrishnan’s task would then be managing the Rajya Sabha, which of late had witnessed intense battles between the Opposition and the ruling benches. Unlike Dhankhar, who had continuous acrimonious exchanges with Opposition leaders, Radhakrishnan may have a conciliatory yet firm approach.