Overview

• The NDA announced on August 17 that Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan is its candidate for the September 9 vice-presidential election.
• Allied parties including the Telugu Desam Party and Janasena publicly endorsed Radhakrishnan, who thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP figures in posts on X.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached out to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as part of an effort to secure opposition backing for an unopposed vote.
• Key INDIA bloc members, led by the DMK, have declined support for the BJP nominee, signalling a likely contest unless a late-stage agreement emerges.
• Radhakrishnan’s Tamil Nadu origins and ties to the Gounder community underscore the BJP’s strategy to strengthen its foothold in the state ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.