TheNews21 Explained: BJP’s Strategic Gamble – How C. P. Radhakrishnan’s Nomination Could Redraw the Map in Tamil Nadu

X: @vivekbhavsar

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Maharashtra Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s candidate for the post of Vice President. On the surface, it looks like a routine succession following Jagdeep Dhankhar’s abrupt resignation. But the choice of a Tamilian leader—rooted in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), respected across party lines, and belonging to an influential OBC community—signals a calculated political masterstroke by the BJP.

Tamil Nadu has long been the BJP’s most elusive frontier. Despite Narendra Modi’s popularity elsewhere, the state has stubbornly resisted the saffron wave, with Dravidian politics firmly entrenched since the 1960s. By elevating Radhakrishnan, the BJP is attempting to rewrite that history.

The development comes in the backdrop of Dhankhar’s sudden resignation in July, officially citing health reasons but reflecting deeper tensions with the government. His handling of a controversial impeachment motion reportedly displeased the leadership, and the RSS had been uneasy about the idea of an “imported” leader not firmly rooted in its ideological tradition holding such a pivotal post. The Sangh has long maintained that three critical positions—the Prime Minister, the Party President, and the Vice President, who also functions as the ex officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha—should remain in the hands of leaders nurtured within its fold. Dhankhar’s exit gave the BJP a rare chance to reset this alignment.

In Radhakrishnan, the party has chosen a man who fits that template perfectly. A lifelong RSS pracharak who rose through the Jan Sangh and BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, he has been a parliamentarian, state party president, and governor. He belongs to the Gounder OBC community, an influential agrarian bloc in western Tamil Nadu, and enjoys a reputation for integrity and cross-party respect. His elevation serves two immediate purposes. First, it boosts the BJP’s image in Tamil Nadu, where the party has never managed to break the dominance of Dravidian parties. 

By projecting a Tamilian leader into the second-highest constitutional office, the BJP seeks to shed its image of being a North Indian party and appeal directly to the pride of Tamil voters. Second, it puts the DMK in a tight spot. If they oppose Radhakrishnan’s candidature, they risk being seen as acting against a respected Tamil son of the soil. If they support him, they hand the BJP a symbolic victory.

This nomination also carries wider organisational implications. J. P. Nadda’s term as BJP president has already ended, and the party will soon declare his successor. That choice, too, will emerge from the RSS camp after consultations with Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Once that happens, the RSS’s long-standing emphasis on the “three posts” will be fully realised: the Prime Minister, the Party President, and the Vice President, all drawn from its cadre and ideological school.

Also Read: TheNews21 Explainer: Trump’s 50% Tariff on India: Trade War Reshapes US–India–Russia–China Relations

For Tamil Nadu, the move is a long-term gamble. The state has remained almost impenetrable for the BJP despite Modi’s nationwide popularity. But with AIADMK weakened after Jayalalithaa’s death and DMK facing pockets of anti-incumbency, the BJP believes the time is ripe to expand its footprint. 

Elevating Radhakrishnan to the Vice President’s post sends a message to Tamil voters that the BJP is serious about giving their state representation at the highest constitutional level. It also allows the party to slowly build an OBC support base, a strategy that has paid rich dividends in the Hindi heartland.

The BJP is unlikely to immediately transform its electoral fortunes in Tamil Nadu through this move alone. Dravidian identity politics, linguistic pride, and welfare-based governance models still dominate the state’s political culture. 

Yet politics often turns on perception before it does on performance. By choosing Radhakrishnan, the BJP has created a narrative that could shift voter psychology in the years to come. It has simultaneously appeased the RSS, tightened its internal ideological discipline, and scored a point against its Dravidian rivals.

The BJP’s decision to nominate C. P. Radhakrishnan is far more than a routine replacement. It is a carefully crafted move aimed at repositioning the party in Tamil Nadu, testing the opposition’s resolve, and reinforcing the RSS’s hold on key constitutional posts. 

Whether this gamble pays off electorally will depend on the BJP’s ability to sustain its outreach, craft a Tamil Nadu-specific narrative, and avoid being seen as an “imposed” force. But for now, the BJP has managed to turn a constitutional formality into a strategic masterstroke with both national and regional consequences.