Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, widely known as C. P. Radhakrishnan (CPR), has been elected as the 15th Vice-President of India.
A senior BJP stalwart from Tamil Nadu, he has had a long political career, holding many important posts in the party and the government.
Born on October 20, 1957, Radhakrishnan entered politics at a young age, joining the RSS and Jan Sangh at 16. He became a member of the BJP and went on to serve as the President of BJP Tamil Nadu between 2004 and 2007. During his tenure, he led a 93-day rath yatra across Tamil Nadu, spreading messages on linking rivers, fighting terrorism, and eradicating untouchability.
Radhakrishnan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore twice, in 1998 and 1999. He first won by a margin of more than 1.5 lakh votes in the aftermath of the Coimbatore bomb blasts. He retained the seat in 1999 with a margin of 55,000 votes, even as the AIADMK withdrew support to the Vajpayee government. He also served as a Union Minister during this period.
Later, CPR took up important constitutional roles. He was appointed Governor of Jharkhand in February 2023. In March 2024, after the resignation of Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, he was given additional charges as Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. On July 31, 2024, he became the Governor of Maharashtra. He will now step down from this role after becoming Vice-President.
BJP leaders said he was one of the most respected figures from South India and often called the “Modi of Tamil Nadu.” He was also a member of the party’s National Executive.
Congratulations poured in from across the political spectrum, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President J. P. Nadda.