Overview

• Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan arrived in Delhi on August 18 to complete formal nomination filings after being named the NDA’s vice-presidential candidate.
• Prime Minister Modi and senior NDA leaders have lauded Radhakrishnan’s track record and are reaching out to parties such as the YSR Congress Party, JD-U and Shiv Sena (UBT) to broaden support.
• With approximately 422 MPs in the combined Houses, the NDA exceeds the roughly 394 votes needed under the single transferable vote system, positioning Radhakrishnan as the frontrunner.
• The opposition INDIA bloc remains divided over whether to field a joint candidate, creating uncertainty ahead of the August 21 nomination deadline, with the September 9 vote slated soon after.
• BJP strategists see his OBC background and roots in Tamil Nadu’s Gounder community as a strategic move to strengthen the party’s presence in the southern states ahead of next year’s assembly polls.