Who Is CP Radhakrishnan? Swayamsevak To Vice President, Inspiring Journey Of Veteran BJP Leader

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu and two-time Member of Parliament from Coimbatore, has been elected as the 15th Vice President of India. The veteran politician secured victory in the vice-presidential election on Tuesday with 452 votes, defeating the INDIA bloc’s B Sudershan Reddy by a margin of 152 votes. Reddy received 300 out of the total 752 valid votes.

Seen as a soft-spoken and non-confrontational leader, Radhakrishnan succeeds Jagdeep Dhankhar, who stepped down from the post on July 21. He becomes the third leader from Tamil Nadu to occupy the country’s second-highest constitutional post.

Radhakrishnan has been closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since his early years. Known to his supporters as the “Modi of Tamil Nadu,” he entered active politics as a member of Bharatiya Janasangh in the 1970s before rising through the ranks of the BJP.

His parliamentary journey began in 1998, when he won the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat, a victory he repeated in 1999. During his time in Parliament, he served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Textiles and was a member of various panels.

Unit his nomination by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as a candidate for the vice-presidential election, Radhakrishnan was serving as the Governor of Maharashtra.

Earlier, he was the Governor of Jharkhand as well. During this tenure, he was also entrusted with additional responsibilities, including acting as the Governor of Telangana and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. As Jharkhand Governor, he was known for his hands-on approach, travelling to all 24 districts within just four months of taking office to engage with citizens and local administrations.

Born on May 4, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He began his public life as an RSS Swayamsevak. By 1974, he had become a state executive committee member of the Bharatiya Janasangh.

In 1996, he was appointed secretary of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. His leadership within the party grew rapidly. He served as the state president of the BJP from 2004 to 2007.

Between 2004 and 2007, Radhakrishnan undertook a 19,000-km ‘Ratha Yatra’ lasting 93 days. The campaign focused on issues such as linking India’s rivers, implementing a Uniform Civil Code, eradicating untouchability, countering terrorism and fighting drug abuse. He also led multiple padayatras across Tamil Nadu for different social and political causes.

He later served as chairman of the Coir Board in Kochi from 2016 to 2020. From 2020 to 2022, he was entrusted with overseeing the BJP’s affairs in Kerala.

Radhakrishnan represented India on several global platforms. He addressed the United Nations General Assembly in 2004 and was part of the first Indian parliamentary delegation to Taiwan. His travels span across Europe, Asia and North America.

Radhakrishnan has also been an avid sportsman, excelling in table tennis, long-distance running, cricket and volleyball during his college days.