Chennai: C P Radhakrishnan, the 67-year-old vice president nominee, has been an all-weather RSS pracharak maintaining a cordial relationship with leaders of all political parties in his home State of Tamil NaduThe former two time MP from Coimbatore, between 1998 and 2004, is a known face of the BJP in the State, despite being away from home serving as Governor in various States since 2023. He keeps in touch with leaders of various parties and very recently called on Chief Minister M K Stalin to enquire about his health after the latter was discharged from hospital. Unlike many other RSS leaders of his time, Radhakrishnan is married to Sumathi and the couple have a son. Though associated with the RSS since his youth and he joined the BJP to hold different positions in the party including the State president, he had never spoken like RSS pracharak or expressed any views that were seen as inimical to secularism. Born in Tirupur, he held his fort in the western districts of the State facilitating the growth of the BJP in the region and was finally handed over gubernatorial responsibilities after the BJP came to the power in New Delhi. His nomination as BJP’s candidate for the Vice President post that fell vacant after the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankar is now seen as a ploy to embarrass the DMK-led alliance as the MPs from the State could be accused of not voting for a Tamil Nadu candidate if they were to prefer the INDIA coalition candidate as it happened during the Presidential election in which A P J Abdul Kalam was nominated by the BJP. However, for the DMK and its allies it would not be an issue warding off such criticism evoking State sentiments. Even if Radhakrishnan is known for his soft-spoken demeanor, as a BJP nominee he is unlikely to evoke support from DMK and its allies.
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