National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Vice Presidential election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Union Ministers in attendance.
Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, JP Nadda, Kiren Rijiju, and Arjun Ram Meghwal were among those present. Radhakrishnan submitted his nomination with the backing of around 20 proposers and 20 supporters.
Earlier in the day, he paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi inside Parliament premises and also honoured statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Rani Lakshmibai, BR Ambedkar, and Birsa Munda.
Accompanying him were Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, L Murugan, along with BJP leader Vinod Tawade.
Prime Minister Modi lauded Radhakrishnan for his “dedication, humility, and intellect,” highlighting his grassroots work in Tamil Nadu and decades-long association with the party.
Radhakrishnan, currently serving as the Governor of Maharashtra since July 2024, has earlier held gubernatorial posts in Jharkhand, Telangana, and as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. He also represented Coimbatore twice in the Lok Sabha and has held key parliamentary committee roles, including as Chairman of the Standing Committee and member of panels on PSUs, Finance, and the Stock Exchange Scam.
Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan began his political journey as a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) before joining the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1974. He went on to serve as BJP Tamil Nadu Secretary in 1996 before being elected MP in 1998 and 1999.