- In full:
- Chandrapuram Ponnusami Radhakrishnan
- Born:
- May 4, 1957, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India (age 69)
C.P. Radhakrishnan
Who is C.P. Radhakrishnan?
What political party is C.P. Radhakrishnan associated with?
What was C.P. Radhakrishnan’s role in the Coir Board?
C.P. Radhakrishnan (born May 4, 1957, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India) is an Indian politician who was elected vice president of the country in September 2025. He previously served as the governor of the states of Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Early career
Radhakrishnan, who belongs to the prominent Kongu Vellalar community of Tamil Nadu, was one of the most visible faces of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in southern Indian politics before he was appointed governor of Jharkhand in 2023. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the early 1970s and became a State Executive Committee member of its political wing, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, in 1974.
In 1977 the Jana Sangh merged with other such parties as the Indian National Congress (Organisation) and the Bharatiya Lok Dal to form the political amalgam Janata Party. Radhakrishnan accompanied Janata Party leader Chandra Shekhar on a countrywide rally in 1983. A split in the Janata Party leadership led to the establishment of the BJP in 1980, and Radhakrishnan became the BJP’s secretary in Tamil Nadu in 1996. He was known to be closely associated with BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Lok Sabha terms
Radhakrishnan was elected to the Lok Sabha (the lower chamber in the Parliament of India) in the general election of 1998 from Coimbatore, a city in Tamil Nadu known to be a stronghold of the Kongu Vellalar community. Fresh elections were held the next year after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), led by J. Jayalalithaa, withdrew its support from the national government, a coalition headed by Vajpayee. Radhakrishnan was reelected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore.
As a parliamentarian Radhakrishnan served on various committees related to textiles, commerce, and finance. In 2001 he served on a special committee to investigate a stock exchange scam; stock broker Ketan Parekh was eventually convicted of market manipulation.
Post-electoral career
Radhakrishnan served as president of BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit for three years in the early 2000s. During his tenure he went on a rath yatra (political tour by road) that covered some 12,000 miles (19,000 km) in 93 days. His goal was to highlight his demands, such as linking rivers and implementing a uniform civil code. He also undertook two pada yatras (political tours on foot).
Radhakrishnan served as the chair of the Coir Board from 2016 to 2020. The board regulates manufacture of coir, or coconut fiber, largely produced in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Coir exports reached a record value of more than 2,700 crore rupees (about $325 million in 2025 dollars) under Radhakrishnan’s leadership. At the end of his tenure he was given charge of the BJP’s affairs in Kerala, serving in the position until 2022.
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Governorships
Radhakrishnan was sworn in as governor of Jharkhand on February 18, 2023. In his first four months he undertook a tour of the state’s 24 districts. During this tour he interacted with residents as well as government officials. He shared a contentious dynamic with Hemant Soren, then chief minister of Jharkhand. In March 2024 Radhakrishnan was given temporary charge of the governorship of Telangana and lieutenant governorship of Puducherry in addition to his duties in Jharkhand. He was appointed governor of Maharashtra some months later and was sworn in on July 31, 2024. Radhakrishnan was named the BJP’s nominee in the election for the vice president of India in August 2025, following the unexpected resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar in July. He won the election on September 9, 2025, defeating former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, who was nominated as the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc’s candidate. Radhakrishnan was sworn in as vice president on September 12.