Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK faces a strategic dilemma as the BJP plays a masterstroke ahead of next year’s state assembly elections. While DMK leader TKS Elangovan has cautiously welcomed the BJP’s nomination of CP Radhakrishnan—popularly known as CPR and a two-time Coimbatore Lok Sabha representative—for Vice President, he emphasised that the DMK will align with the INDIA bloc’s decision on the candidacy. The BJP’s move comes as the DMK intensifies its attacks, branding the saffron party as “anti-Tamil” and accusing it of undermining Tamil Nadu’s interests and cultural identity. He also added that the BJP’s projection of a Tamilian as the Vice Presidential candidate does not inherently make it pro-Tamil Nadu.
After the announcement of CPR by the BJP, the spotlight is on DMK and its regional allies in Tamil Nadu as the Opposition INDIA bloc floor leaders are set to meet on Monday. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will preside over a meeting of the parliamentary floor leaders of the INDIA [India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance] bloc at 10:15am, where they are likely to discuss the issue.It remains uncertain whether the Vice Presidential candidate will be from the Congress party. The Congress-led INDIA bloc has previously declared its intent to field a joint ‘non-political’ candidate for the election.
DMK And CPR
There are reports that Radhakrishnan met DMK President and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Chennai on August 11 to enquire about his health. By nominating CPR, the BJP is sending a message that it respects Tamil Nadu and Tamils, even though the party has been rejected in the state electorally. While his nomination is not only about Tamil outreach, it is still a key factor, given the BJP’s push to expand its base in Tamil Nadu. If elected, CPR will become the third Vice-President from the state, after Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and R. Venkataraman. With 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 10 in the Rajya Sabha, DMK may come under pressure from the BJP and its ally AIADMK to support CPR, to show its commitment to Tamils. But the DMK’s allies — Congress, the Left, and VCK — are unlikely to support this, since they view CPR mainly through his RSS-BJP links.
The Vice Presidential election in India, scheduled for September 9, 2025, is seen largely as a formality with the numbers stacked in favour of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The electoral college consists of 782 members from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, with 392 votes required for a majority. The NDA commands 425 votes, comfortably above the halfway mark, while the opposition INDIA bloc has 312 votes. The remaining 45 votes lie with other parties and independents. With this clear edge, the NDA’s candidate, CP Radhakrishnan, is almost certain to win.
