National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate CP Radhakrishnan on Wednesday filed his nomination for the post of Vice President of India. The event, held at Parliament House, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who acted as the chief proposer in the first set of nomination papers.
The nomination was submitted in four sets, each containing the signatures of 20 proposers and 20 seconders. Besides PM Modi, Union ministers, senior MPs, and key alliance leaders were named in the documents.
Who all were present at the Parliament House?
Among those present at Parliament House to accompany CP Radhakrishnan and PM Modi were Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president and Union Health Minister JP Nadda, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and several senior NDA allies and Union Ministers. These included Lalan Singh from the Janata Dal United (JDU), HD Kumaraswamy from the Janata Dal Secular (JDS), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Union Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, M Thambi Durai from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Jitan Ram Manjhi from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Chirag Paswan from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Praful Patel from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena leader and Minister of State Prataprao Jadhav, Birendra Prasad Baishya from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader and Minister of State Anupriya Patel and Ramdas Athawale of the Republican Party of India (Athawale).
The nomination comes just days after Prime Minister Modi praised Radhakrishnan on social media for his commitment to public service. In a post on X, the PM described him as a leader with "dedication, humility, and intellect" who has consistently worked towards empowering marginalised communities.
NDA's unanimous pick
The decision to field Radhakrishnan was unanimously agreed upon during a key NDA strategy meeting held at Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's residence. Jitan Ram Manjhi, a senior NDA leader, confirmed the consensus, stating that the alliance stands united behind Radhakrishnan's candidature.
CP Radhakrishnan, currently serving as the Governor of Maharashtra, is a senior BJP leader with decades of experience in legislative and administrative roles. A former MP from Tamil Nadu, he is known for his strong grassroots connect and focus on social upliftment.
Vice Presidential election next month
The Vice Presidential election is scheduled for next month, and with the NDA holding a clear numerical edge in Parliament, Radhakrishnan is widely seen as the frontrunner. If elected, he will succeed the outgoing Vice President and assume one of the highest constitutional positions in the country.
B Sudershan Reddy named INDIA bloc's Vice Presidential candidate
Former Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy is the INDIA bloc's candidate for the vice-presidential election to be held on September 9, announced Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday (August 19). The announcement comes after deliberate efforts by the INDIA bloc to field a common candidate.
"All INDIA bloc parties has decided to have a common candidate, the decision has been taken unanimously. I am happy that all opposition parties have agreed to one name. It is a big achievement for democracy," Kharge said.The vice-presidential election, which became necessary following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar last month, will be held on September 9. The last date for filing nominations has been set for August 22.
