By naming CP Radhakrishnan, the BJP played the Tamil pride card and requested its rival parties, including the DMK, to support its nominee, who hails from Tamil Nadu.
Published Aug 18, 2025 | 2:49 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 18, 2025 | 2:49 PM
Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan.
Synopsis: It is being speculated that the INDIA bloc may announce a candidate from South India — possibly from Tamil Nadu — to counter the BJP’s strategy. A meeting of the INDIA bloc is scheduled for Monday, 18 August, evening.
The DMK may stand by the opposition INDIA bloc in the vice-presidential election.
By naming CP Radhakrishnan, currently the Governor of Maharashtra, the BJP played the Tamil pride card and requested its rival parties, including the DMK, to support its nominee, who hails from Tamil Nadu. Radhakrishnan was a two-time MP from Coimbatore.
DMK organisational secretary RS Bharathi initially said that “Our leader will take a decision.” He later added, “We will act by the decision taken by the INDIA bloc.”
The BJP named Radhakrishnan as its vice-presidential candidate on Sunday, 17 August. The party’s national president, JP Nadda, called for a unanimous election of Radhakrishnan.
The election was necessitated following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on 21 July.
Meanwhile, it is being speculated that the INDIA bloc may announce a candidate from South India — possibly from Tamil Nadu — to counter the BJP’s strategy. A meeting of the INDIA bloc is scheduled for Monday, 18 August, evening.
Meanwhile, MDMK chief Vaiko, an INDIA bloc ally, greeted Radhakrishnan on his nomination as vice president.
For a long time, the DMK government and other INDIA bloc parties have accused the BJP-led Union government of discriminating against Tamil Nadu — from allocation of central schemes and funds to issues of tax devolution — claiming the state has been consistently disadvantaged.
Following the announcement of Radhakrishnan’s candidature, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached out over the phone to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin, seeking their support.
BJP’s state president Nainar Nagendran issued a statement urging the INDIA bloc parties in Tamil Nadu to rise above party lines and support Radhakrishnan, calling his nomination “a proud recognition for Tamils.” He further said that if all parties extended support, it would stand as a historic testimony to Tamil pride.
This has triggered a debate: with the BJP projecting a Tamil leader for a high constitutional office, will the DMK or other Tamil parties support him? Or, if they oppose, will it allow the BJP to brand the DMK as standing “against a Tamil”?
It is also being recalled that in 1999, when the BJP and DMK were in alliance, Radhakrishnan contested from Coimbatore and was elected to Parliament, campaigning closely alongside DMK leaders at the time.
However, the DMK has long aligned itself with the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties, in opposition to the BJP-led NDA.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
