C P RADHAKRISHNAN’s win as Vice-President Tuesday seals the BJP’s confidence in a man long regarded as both disciplined and quietly effective. He brings to his new role decades of political apprenticeship, organisational experience, and a reputation for moderation.
A two-time MP from Coimbatore, winning when the BJP was barely a blip in the state, Radhakrishnan lived up to all the qualities assigned to him when he was appointed the Governor of Jharkhand in February 2023. In contrast to many of his peers who were in run-ins with respective state governments, he declared that Governors should transcend political affiliations, and cast himself as a bridge between state and Central governments.
“His focus on improving the lives of tribal and underprivileged communities in Jharkhand also carried an implicit rebuke of predecessors accused of blurring Constitutional boundaries, at a moment when southern states were bristling against activist gubernatorial interventions,” said a senior RSS leader from Tamil Nadu, a long-time colleague. Radhakrishnan’s non-partisan approach was commended even by DMK, the BJP’s chief rival in TN.
The arc of his political life starts from his teenage years. Born in Tiruppur in western TN, Radhakrishnan joined the RSS at 16 and rose steadily through BJP’s ranks. In 1998 and 1999, he won the Coimbatore LS seat with commanding margins, the highest in the state at the time. He was the party’s TN president from 2004-07 and also became a National Executive member of BJP.
Colleagues often describe him as a man steeped in Sangh Parivar’s ideological framework, yet pragmatic in execution. His straightforward demeanour, combined with a relatively clean image, set him apart in a political culture often marred by personal rivalries and corruption scandals. Yet, Radhakrishnan has not shied away from controversy. When TN minister Udhayanidhi Stalin called for “annihilation” of Sanatan Dharma in 2023, Radhakrishnan, though Jharkhand Governor by then, warned that those who tried to destroy Hindu traditions “will perish by their own act”. He dismissed Udhayanidhi as “a child” dabbling in matters beyond his depth.
In July 2024, he was moved as Maharashtra Governor, close on heels of NDA’s poor show in LS polls. His tenure continued his record in Jharkhand, with Radhakrishnan remaining away from controversies and maintaining cordial ties across political spectrum. With ENS Mumbai
