CHENNAI: The National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) decision to field Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan as its Vice-President candidate is being viewed as both a recognition for Tamil Nadu and a calculated political move by the BJP to strengthen its presence in the state, where it has struggled to make electoral gains.

Announcing the nomination, BJP national president J P Nadda appealed for unanimous support across parties, while Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran urged the DMK and Congress to "rise above political lines" and back Radhakrishnan. "This is a matter of honour for Tamil Nadu. I appeal to all Tamils, irrespective of party, to support him, " Nagenthran said on Sunday.

Party leaders acknowledged that the choice of Radhakrishnan was a strategic one. Despite being unable to secure a single seat in Tamil Nadu in the last two Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has sought to showcase the nomination as evidence of the state's significance in national politics. "The leadership wants this to be seen as recognition for Tamil Nadu and also as a message to regional parties that the BJP values leaders from the state, " a senior BJP functionary told DT Next.

Radhakrishnan, a two-time MP from Coimbatore, was known for keeping his MP letterhead at the Tamil Nadu BJP headquarters, Kamalalayam, to ensure easy access for cadres and the public. Even after rising to constitutional positions as Governor of Jharkhand and later Maharashtra, he retained the reputation of being approachable. His soft-spoken manner, smiling presence and ability to maintain camaraderie even with political rivals won him respect across the aisle.

Union Minister L Murugan said, "C P Radhakrishnan's decades of service to people, both in public life and in government, have been marked by humility and accessibility. His candidature reflects our party's commitment to leaders rooted in the people."

Senior leaders, including H Raja, Tamilisai Soundararajan, Vanathi Srinivasan, Pon Radhakrishnan, and K Annamalai, also endorsed the nomination, hailing it as recognition for Tamil Nadu.

In his response, Radhakrishnan expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda for the confidence placed in him. "I am deeply moved by this decision. I assure the people of India that I will dedicate myself fully to the responsibilities of the office, " he said.

The Vice-President election will be held on September 9.