Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, has been elected India’s 15th Vice President, securing 452 votes against INDIA bloc’s B Sudershan Reddy’s 300 in the election held on September 9, 2025. Known as the “Modi of Tamil Nadu” for his soft-spoken yet determined leadership, Radhakrishnan succeeds Jagdeep Dhankhar, becoming the third Tamil Nadu leader to hold the nation’s second-highest constitutional office.

Radhakrishnan’s journey began as an RSS Swayamsevak in his youth, leading him to join the Bharatiya Janasangh in the 1970s. By 1974, he was a state executive committee member, and in 1996, he became the BJP’s Tamil Nadu secretary. His political ascent saw him serve as state president from 2004 to 2007, during which he led a 19,000-km Ratha Yatra over 93 days, advocating for issues like river linking, a Uniform Civil Code, and eradicating untouchability.

Elected as Coimbatore’s MP in 1998 and 1999, Radhakrishnan chaired the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Textiles and served on various panels. His governance roles include Governor of Jharkhand, where he visited all 24 districts in four months, and additional responsibilities as Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. Until his vice-presidential nomination, he was Maharashtra’s Governor.

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Born on May 4, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. His public life extends beyond politics—he represented India at the UN General Assembly in 2004, joined the first Indian parliamentary delegation to Taiwan, and traveled across Europe, Asia, and North America. An avid sportsman, he excelled in table tennis, cricket, and volleyball during college.

From 2016 to 2020, he chaired the Coir Board in Kochi and later oversaw BJP operations in Kerala from 2020 to 2022. His extensive campaigns, including padayatras across Tamil Nadu, focused on social and political causes like countering terrorism and drug abuse.

Radhakrishnan’s election marks a milestone for Tamil Nadu’s representation at the national level, reflecting his decades-long commitment to public service and the BJP’s ideological roots.

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