NEW DELHI, Aug 17: Maharashtra Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with an RSS background, was on Sunday named the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling National Democratic Alliance.
BJP president J P Nadda made the announcement following a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and consulting the party’s allies.
Nadda appealed for unanimous election of Radhakrishnan (67), an OBC leader and two-time former member of Lok Sabha, to the constitutional position, saying the BJP leaders had spoken to the opposition parties last week and will continue to do so.
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The opposition leaders had told the BJP interlocutors that they can make up their mind only after being told of the ruling alliance’s nominee, Nadda said, adding that his party will reach out to them again.
Due to the comfortable majority of the BJP and its allies in the electoral college, comprising Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, Radhakrishnan’s election is all but certain, and the party hopes that his elevation will help it make fresh inroads in Tamil Nadu, where elections are due next year.
Radhakrishnan belongs to the influential Gounder caste, an OBC community, in Tamil Nadu.
Nadda emphasised on his nearly 40 years in public life, noting that he is well regarded in different parties and commands respect among various sections of society. (PTI)
