Caught in a bind? Why BJP's Vice Presidential nominee has left DMK in a fix

The NDA has nominated Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the Vice President elections. (File: PTI)

The NDA on Sunday announced the nomination of Maharashtra Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the upcoming elections for the post of Vice President of India.

An ideological insider -- he has been associated with the RSS since he was 17 years old -- Radhakrishnan hails from Tamil Nadu and is seen as a far more inclusive and acceptable face as compared to his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar whose tenure was marked by frequent run-ins with the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

But the BJP's move to field a more balanced leader as the VP, who shall also serve as the Rajya Sabha Chairman, is beyond the dynamics in Parliament. With Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu around eight months away, the BJP has used this opportunity to blunt the DMK's campaign against while also leaving the ruling party in the state in a predicament.

How so? The DMK, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin has designed its campaign in the state so far around the issues of Tamil identity and language pride -- tools it has used to paint the BJP as an oppressor bent on imposing Hindi on the people of the state despite their resistance. The NEET issue and the row over Hindi imposition are some cases in point.

With offering the Vice President nomination to Radhakrishnan, a leader who hails from the state and has a deep connect with the state's population and leaders cutting across party lines, the BJP has attempted to blunt the DMK's line of attack against it.

The DMK's first reaction to the announcement of Radhakrishnan's nomination also revealed the party's discomfort with the BJP's decision. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan termed the NDA's vice-presidential pick "a good decision". However, he told NDTV that since DMK is part of the INDIA bloc, it will follow the alliance's decision. The DMK is now learnt to have suggested to the INDIA bloc that it jointly nominate a leader from Tamil Nadu as its VP nominee in a bid to counter the BJP.

While the BJP has not managed to make significant inroads in Tamil Nadu, a state where it has failed to register significant electoral success, the DMK has been extremely wary of its increasing influence -- the BJP's vote share increased from 3.6% in 2019 to 11.1% in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

And while BJP's decision to nominate Radhakrishnan has the potential to send a strong message to the electorate in Tamil Nadu, there is little that the DMK can say or do to oppose him other than pointing to his RSS roots.

While its own political narrative of Tamil identity and language pride limit the DMK's potential to vociferously oppose Radhakrishnan's candidature, Radhakrishnan's mellow image, his administrative expertise and ties across the political spectrum also leave the DMK in quite a bind.

Radhakrishnan, a two-time MP from Coimbatore, former Tamil Nadu BJP president, and currently Maharashtra Governor, enjoys cross-party goodwill, including with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

On the other hand, the DMK realises that Radhakrishnan's candidature will allow the BJP to project a more inclusive image that is invested in the development of Tamil Nadu. With the numbers heavily stacked in favour of the NDA, the contest, if any, will at best be symbolic. The ripples, however, could be much wider. Radhakrishnan traces his roots to the western region of the state where the BJP has a modest but growing base. The region in also a a stronghold of its ally AIADMK.

The NDA, aware of the DMK's dichotomy, has already begun to cash in. "This is an opportunity for the DMK to correct its historic blunder of not supporting the re-election of our beloved son of the soil, Dr Kalam. By refusing to support another Tamil, the DMK risks once again being on the wrong side of history," Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the nomination of Radhakrishnan as the VP candidate.

"Dr CP Radhakrishnan has always stood for Tamil values while serving the country. His victory will be a proud moment for every Tamil household," he added.

The NDA has also deputed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to reach out to Opposition leaders and seek their support for Radhakrishnan's candidature. Among leaders Singh is scheduled to speak to include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.

Rajnath Singh has spoken to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who is learnt to have assured the government of the YSRCP's support to Radhakrishnan's nomination.

The election for the post of Vice President is scheduled to be held on September 9 and the last date for nominations is August 21.