Southern surge, NDA's choice leave INDIA bloc on uneven ground in Vice-Prez race

New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) With Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan named as the National Democratic Alliance’s candidate for Vice President, the Bharatiya Janata Party has made a calculated move that blends hard electoral arithmetic with a deeper regional strategy.

His nomination is not merely a reward for loyalty -- it signals the BJP’s renewed push to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu and the southern states, where it has historically struggled to gain traction.

On the numbers front, the NDA enters the Vice Presidential contest with a clear advantage. The Electoral College comprises 786 members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

With 293 MPs in Lok Sabha and 129 in Rajya Sabha—including support from nominated members—the NDA commands approximately 422 votes, comfortably above the 394 needed to win.

In contrast, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc has around 300 MPs across both Houses. Even if it fields a joint candidate, the margin is expected to be narrower than in previous contests.

In 2017, M. Venkaiah Naidu defeated Gopalkrishna Gandhi by 272 votes, and in 2022, Jagdeep Dhankhar won over Margaret Alva by 346 votes.

The margin may narrow in the upcoming contest, yet the outcome remains tilted in favour of the NDA.

Non-aligned parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)—all of which have previously supported NDA-backed candidates based on individual merit—could once again help bolster Radhakrishnan’s tally.

However, the BJD has signaled it may not support the NDA this time, citing lack of consultation.

Notably, Radhakrishnan’s longstanding rapport with many southern politicians could also influence INDIA bloc members from the region, some of whom may cross-vote or abstain, subtly shifting the arithmetic in his favour.

This potential shift in support underscores the significance of Radhakrishnan’s personal and political journey, which has long been rooted in Tamil Nadu’s socio-political landscape.

Born as Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, his political journey began at age 16 with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Jan Sangh.

He twice represented Coimbatore in the Lok Sabha—in 1998 and 1999—and served as BJP’s Tamil Nadu state president from 2004 to 2007.

His 93-day “Rath Yatra” across the state, advocating river-linking and social equity, earned him grassroots credibility and the moniker “Modi of Tamil Nadu".

In 2004, he firmly asserted that the BJP had neither betrayed any ally nor caused ruptures in political partnerships.

Following the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s exit from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, Radhakrishnan played a key role in rebuilding coalition strength within the Tamil Nadu unit.

He was instrumental in initiating and negotiating a fresh alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ahead of the 2004 general elections.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Radhakrishnan contested from Coimbatore as the BJP candidate.

Despite lacking support from Tamil Nadu’s dominant parties—the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam—he secured 3,89,701 votes, finishing as runner-up.

His tally was the highest among all BJP candidates in the state, and he lost by the narrowest margin recorded across Tamil Nadu that year.

His administrative experience spans gubernatorial roles in Jharkhand (February 2023–July 2024), Maharashtra (from July 2024), and additional charges in Telangana and Puducherry.

He has also represented India at the United Nations and was part of the first parliamentary delegation to Taiwan in 2014. The INDIA bloc is expected to announce its candidate soon, but internal coordination and past abstentions—such as the Trinamool Congress’ decision to abstain in 2022 due to lack of consultation—may weaken its challenge. Still, the opposition is likely to contest to assert political relevance.

Ultimately, C.P. Radhakrishnan’s nomination is more than a numbers game—it’s a message.

It reflects the BJP’s intent to elevate southern leadership, reward loyalty, and symbolically bridge the North-South divide in national politics.

Whether this translates into electoral gains for the BJP in Tamil Nadu remains to be seen, but the Vice Presidential race has already become a stage for deeper political realignments.

--IANS

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