NDA Announces CP Radhakrishnan as Vice Presidential Candidate. Congress Leader Manickam Tagore, Linking Him to RSS, Appeals to Opposition Parties for Strong Strategy and Unified Decision.
VP Nomination: The NDA has declared Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the Vice Presidential post. This decision was announced on Sunday after a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board. This has stirred activity within the opposition and the Congress party. Congress MP Manickam Tagore reacted sharply to this, stating that the BJP has once again tried to bring a person affiliated with the RSS to an important constitutional position.
Tagore, writing on X (formerly Twitter), said that after the Prime Minister and the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Vice Presidential post has also become part of the "battle for patronage." He appealed to the opposition alliance, INDIA bloc, to formulate a strategy and take a decision on this as soon as possible.
Manickam Tagore's Statement and Opposition's Discontent
Congress leader Manickam Tagore says that this is not just an election for the Vice President but also a battle for the independence and balance of constitutional institutions. According to him, the BJP is consistently appointing individuals with direct connections to the RSS to important positions.
He wrote, "Vice President of India. Another institution after PM & Speaker... Another battle to protect. Hope INDIA block decides." This statement by Tagore has received widespread support within the Congress, and other party leaders have also become aggressive towards the BJP. However, the opposition has not yet clarified whether they will field their own candidate or reach a consensus on a single name to challenge the NDA candidate.
Radhakrishnan's Background
CP Radhakrishnan is considered a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has been active in the party organization for a long time and has held various responsibilities. Currently, he is the 24th Governor of Maharashtra and assumed this office on July 31, 2024. He has a clean and disciplined leader image. This is why the BJP is presenting him as a candidate who is capable of fulfilling both organizational experience and constitutional responsibility. The BJP wants the opposition to also accept him and for this election to be completed unopposed.
Process to be Overseen by Rajnath Singh
According to sources, the entire process of the Vice Presidential election to be held on September 9 will be overseen by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. This step is also considered important because the BJP wants to conduct this election with dignity and consensus, keeping it away from any controversy. It was decided in the Parliamentary Board meeting that Radhakrishnan's name would be announced unanimously, and BJP President JP Nadda gave official information about this through a press conference.
Statement of BJP President JP Nadda
BJP President JP Nadda clarified that the party will establish communication with the opposition so that the Vice Presidential election can be completed unopposed. He said, "We will also talk to the opposition. Their cooperation is necessary to ensure an unopposed election for the post of Vice President. As has been said before, we are in touch with them, and senior leaders have started the conversation." Nadda also stated that all the NDA allies are standing with the BJP and supporting Radhakrishnan as the Vice Presidential candidate.
Vice Presidential Post Vacant
Just before the monsoon session of Parliament, on July 21, 2024, the then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned citing health reasons. This post has been vacant since Dhankhar's resignation. In such a situation, it will now be decided only by the election to be held on September 9 who will be the new Vice President of the country.
