With the country marching towards the vice-presidential election, the race has undertones much more profound than a constitutional ritual. Both the NDA and the INDIA bloc have put up candidates deeply rooted in South India, and the question is whether this election has the potential to redefine political narratives in the state.
NDA’s selection of C.P. Radhakrishnan seems to be a calculated step. A seasoned leader who started as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) swayamsevak in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan climbed the rungs of the Jana Sangh and then the BJP, being the state party president from 2004 to 2007. His low-profile stance and connection with grassroots activists, brought him to lead at once a Rath Yatra of 19,000 km-long on river-linking, counter-terrorism and social reform. CP’s appointment followed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inviting a reconciliation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin a gesture critics saw as the BJP’s carefully calculated approach in a state where it remains constrained.
Will VP candidate can shake Dravidian politics?
Tamil Nadu has long been a supporting factor of Dravidian politics, with the AIADMK and DMK both taking turns as the reigning champion. There is a BJP alliance with AIADMK, yet the political landscape overall is rooted in anti-Hindutva polemics based on antagonism against BJP political heavyweights, most notably by Kamal Haasan and Udhayanidhi Stalin, who have mulled denouncing Sanatana Dharma. In projecting Radhakrishnan, a Tamil leader embedded in Sangh ideology, the BJP could be working against that narrative, projecting him as a national-level Tamil face to bridge the ideological divide and expand its political clout in the South.
The timing is also synchronised with the entry of actor-politician Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) as an opponent to both DMK and BJP in the countdown to the 2026 assembly elections. With Vijay presenting himself as a people’s candidate and banking on Ambedkarite symbolism, the BJP’s action can be seen as an indirect effort to stymie his ascendancy. By demonstrating that Tamil politicians can make a national name for themselves under its umbrella, the BJP might be seeking to reframe voter attitudes and slow the momentum of fresh regional rivals.
INDIA bloc’s strategic move
On the other hand, the INDIA alliance has nominated Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy (retd.), a noted legal luminary of Hyderabad, Telangana. A product of a farmer’s family, Justice Reddy went up the judiciary to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge between 2007 and 2011 and subsequently Goa’s first Lokayukta. His candidacy, backed by Congress, and supported by AIMIM head Asaduddin Owaisi, not only brings a southern candidate to the opposition’s choice, but also. Owaisi’s support adds another interesting dimension, throwing some added fraternity to minority and regional voices to include in the bloc as well.
While vice-presidential elections are ultimately a numbers game influenced by the NDA’s supremacy in Parliament, the very selection of two southern candidates has produced a curiously symbolic tussle. For the BJP, the selection of Radhakrishnan fits the long-term play of reducing the hold of Dravidian political ideology and establishing its ideological footprint in Tamil Nadu. For the INDIA bloc, the candidacy of Justice Reddy stands for inclusive and integrity-based judicial philosophy with its most distinguishable South Indian identity.
The result won’t change the NDA’s current numerical edge, but the symbolism of this election can reverberate outside New Delhi. The true test is whether this vote will be recalled as a run-of-the-mill poll or as the turning point when the vice-presidential elections started rewriting the South’s political script.
ALSO READ: Vice Presidential Elections 2025: Know The Candidates-CP Radhakrishnan vs Justice B Sudershan Reddy
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
