NDA’s planned strategy ensures ‘pachai Tamizhan’s win

New Delhi : A meticulously planned strategy by the NDA ensured a convincing
win for NDA nominee, CP Radhakrishnan, in the Vice Presidential election on Tuesday.
Radhakrishnan secured a total of 452 first-preference votes against his rival, the Opposition’s B Sudarshana Reddy, who garnered 300 votes. Although the result
was a foregone conclusion, the NDA candidate got 14 more votes than expected.
“More than a dozen meetings were held with NDA partners over the election strategy in
which everyone was tasked to ensure 100% voting. The BJP, steering the campaign in this VP election, made each and every NDA MP in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha feel invested in the outcome,” a senior BJP leader, who was one of those assigned to ensure the NDA strategy’s success, told TNIE on Tuesday. The BJP selected Radhakrishnan
as the NDA candidate for the Vice President’s post soon after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned, which sparked a wave of speculation across the corridors of national politics. The 68-yearold Radhakrishnan was seen to be more active in canvassing and engaging with NDA MPs than any previous candidate in a Vice Presidential election. He met hundreds of NDA MPs and also sought support from some members of the Opposition, as part of what many described as a gentlemanly campaign for the post. His efforts paid off, securing 452 first preference votes. Of the 754 votes cast, 15 were declared invalid.
“Though the 150-vote margin is one of the lowest in the VicePresidential polls, the way the NDA managed to ensure it putting a united show since the day Dhankhar resigned gave many in the Opposition a lesson in alliance management,” remarked a BJP leader, adding that while the result was almost certain, the voting figures indicated that there had been cross-voting from Opposition MPs. CP Radhakrishnan emerged as the preferred NDA nominee among three shortlisted names, owing to his extensive political and administrative experience. His selection was also seen as part of the BJP’s efforts to expand its presence in Tamil Nadu and to signal that the saffron party does not discriminate against the South in matters of national representation. Another
significant factor behind Radhakrishnan’s selection was his long-standing association
with the RSS, which underscores loyalty and nationalist credentials to the highest degree. Described as a ‘pachai Tamizhan’ (true-blue Tamil) by wellwishers, Radhakrishnan was serving as the Governor of Maharashtra when he was named
the vice-presidential nominee of the BJP-led NDA. Radhakrishnan joined the RSS as
a teenager and rose through the ranks in the organisation and later within the BJP, earning acceptance both in the party and in his home state. He belongs to the OBC
community, and his election to the Vice Presidency adds another point to the BJP’s claim of being a champion of OBC causes.

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