E-Paper
BJP appeals to DMK, INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu to support Radhakrishnan for VP
BJP Tamil Nadu state president Nainar Nagendran said it was a historic moment that Radhakrishnan, ‘the son of Tamil soil’, had been chosen for the vice presidential polls
Chennai: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has put the ruling DMK and INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu in a tight spot by urging them to support the nomination of Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan to the post of vice-president. BJP state president Nainar Nagendran on Monday said it was a “historic moment” that Radhakrishnan, “the son of Tamil soil”, had been chosen for the vice presidential polls.
“This is not merely a political decision, but a proud recognition for all Tamil people. If history records that every party, rising above political boundaries, supported this honour being bestowed on a Tamil leader, it will be remembered as a milestone in healthy politics. Therefore, I sincerely appeal to all leaders and members of the INDI Alliance in Tamil Nadu to rise above party lines and extend their support,” he said.
The NDA on Sunday announced C P Radhakrishnan, serving as the Maharashtra governor, as its candidate for the vice-presidential poll scheduled for September 9. BJP’s ally and Tamil Nadu’s principal opposition AIADMK thanked the national party’s leaders for choosing a politician from Tamil Nadu as the VP nominee.
The DMK has 22 members in the Lok Sabha and 10 in the Rajya Sabha. Even though the NDA does not require their support in terms of numbers, the BJP is appealing to the Dravidian party and its allies (Congress, Vidhuthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, CPI (M), CPI, etc) to rise above politics and support a Tamilian.
Interestingly, Radhakrishnan had met chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin in his Chennai residence, a week ago, on August 11. The leaders at the time had said that Radhakrishnan met him to enquire about Stalin’s health since he had been hospitalised for a week and discharged in July.
Radhakrishnan hails from the Gounder community in the western region which has historically been the citadel of the AIADMK, where the DMK is gaining ground recently. AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) also belongs to the Gounder community, as does former BJP state president K Annamalai.
Radhakrishnan was born in Tiruppur and elected twice from Coimbatore - the only pocket where the BJP has its own support base in the state, which has been successively ruled by either the DMK or AIADMK since 1967.
Having roots in the RSS in Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan was formerly the state president of the BJP unit. He was first elected from the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat in 1998 following the bomb blasts in Coimbatore city that year ahead of L K Advani’s visit. He retained the seat the following year.
Radhakrishnan’s nomination comes at a time when Tamil Nadu faces assembly elections next year and the DMK has been criticising the BJP for being anti-Tamil. The BJP has been trying to make inroads into the southern state and Radhakrishnan’s nomination seems to be another outreach to the Tamil population.
DMK spokesperson A Saravanan said that BJP’s decision to nominate Radhakrishnan will not influence voters. He cited the example of former BJP state president L Murugan who despite being made Union minister from the Upper House lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu.
“Radhakrishnan is an RSS man. What benefit can be brought to the people of Tamil Nadu? People of Tamil Nadu can see through what the BJP is doing,” he said.
Nagendran’s meeting with superstar Rajinikanth at his Chennai residence on Monday also set off speculation of roping in the actor’s support since he is known to lean towards the right wing in a state where film stars straddle politics.
Rajinikanth was backed by the BJP to make his political debut in the 2021 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu but after several fits and starts, he backed out. His mass influence has swayed elections in Tamil Nadu like in 1996 when the AIADMK lost after he said that “Even God can’t save Tamil Nadu” if J Jayalalithaa wins again.
Nagendran said he met the actor to wish him upon completing 50 years in the film industry. “An artist who has ruled the Indian film industry for half a century, with sacred ash on his forehead and patriotism in his hearts, he remains an everlasting national actor,” Nagendran said.
