Who is CP Radhakrishnan, NDA’s Vice-Presidential Candidate?
New Delhi: Maharashtra Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a veteran BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with over four decades in politics, has been named as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate for the upcoming Vice-Presidential election.
Born in Tiruppur on October 20, 1957, Radhakrishnan began his political journey in the 1970s with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and served on the State Executive Committee of the Bharatiya Janasangh in 1974. He went on to become the BJP’s Tamil Nadu state president between 2004 and 2007 and was twice elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore, one of the few BJP leaders from the state to achieve this.
The 67-year-old leader belongs to the Gounder community, a prominent OBC group in Tamil Nadu, and is regarded within the BJP as a key representative of backward class leadership. Beyond politics, he holds a degree in Business Administration and has been a sports enthusiast, excelling in table tennis, long-distance running, cricket and volleyball.
Radhakrishnan’s gubernatorial career began in February 2023 as Governor of Jharkhand, followed by a brief stint with additional charge of Telangana and Puducherry in 2024. He was sworn in as the 24th Governor of Maharashtra on July 31, 2024.
The NDA’s decision to field him was taken at a BJP Parliamentary Board meeting on August 17 in New Delhi, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders. BJP president JP Nadda announced the nomination, calling it a unanimous choice.
Prime Minister Modi, welcoming the move, said Radhakrishnan had “always focused on empowering the marginalised and distinguished himself with dedication, humility and intellect.”
The Vice-Presidential election will be held on September 9, with nominations closing on August 21 and withdrawals allowed until August 25. The election follows the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, citing health reasons.
Attention now turns to whether the opposition will contest the election or allow Radhakrishnan to be elected unopposed.
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
