CP Radhakrishnan And Jagdeep Dhankhar, BJP’s Surprising U-Turn.
This comes just weeks after Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down from the role, leaving speculation about his successor. Radhakrishnan, a seasoned leader with years of experience and a reputation for organizational skills, is seen as a steady choice to represent the alliance. The decision reflects the BJP’s adaptability and its focus on balancing political equations ahead.
Dhankhar’s sudden resignation. The move is being described as a 180-degree turn by the party, both in terms of personality and political approach. For many, it signals a conscious shift away from confrontation and controversy toward consensus and calm.
A little over two years of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Vice President had already left a distinct imprint on the office. Opposition leaders often accused him of compromising the neutrality of the post, something that is traditionally expected to rise above the turbulence of daily politics. His sharp interventions in parliamentary debates, legalistic arguments, and frequent run-ins with the Opposition turned the Vice President’s chair into a stormy center of political battle. While his supporters argued that he was assertive and uncompromising in defending parliamentary procedures, detractors felt his approach disrupted consensus-building.
Now, in CP Radhakrishnan, the BJP has presented a successor who is widely considered to be the opposite of Dhankhar in style, temperament, and political background. Radhakrishnan is being projected as mellow, strategic, and deeply rooted in the RSS and Jan Sangh traditions. Unlike Dhankhar, who was often identified through his Jat-heavy, outsider political identity, Radhakrishnan carries a pan-South Indian presence and a reputation for inclusiveness. His rise reflects not just personal merit but also the BJP’s desire to expand its influence across the southern states, a region where the party continues to face political challenges.
What sets Radhakrishnan apart is his ability to quietly align with the Centre’s policies without generating unnecessary friction. In Tamil Nadu, he has taken a subtle yet effective stand against the DMK’s criticism of the Union government. His outreach to Chief Minister MK Stalin was seen as a gesture of statesmanship, even while he did not shy away from dismissing Udhayanidhi Stalin’s controversial comments on Sanatana Dharma. By calling the young minister a “child” on such matters, Radhakrishnan defused the tension without escalating the political war of words.
In Maharashtra too, he played a balancing role. When confronted with the controversial Public Security Bill, he engaged with the opposition carefully, even when petitioned not to assent to it. It is this steady-hand approach that many in the BJP believe will make him a stabilizing presence in Parliament.
His ideological roots go deep. Radhakrishnan has been linked with the RSS and the Jan Sangh since the age of 17, making him a thoroughbred product of the Sangh Parivar ecosystem. This background, combined with his relatively controversy-free career, makes him a natural consensus-builder within the NDA and potentially acceptable to other political groups as well.
This marks a striking contrast with Dhankhar’s tenure. While he frequently cited constitutional provisions and legal precedents to justify his arguments, his style often alienated the Opposition, leading to frequent deadlocks. Parliamentary debates turned combative, and consensus—an essential ingredient for smooth functioning—became increasingly difficult to achieve.
The BJP’s choice of Radhakrishnan, therefore, appears deliberate. The party seems to have concluded that the parliamentary system needs a personality who can calm storms rather than whip them up. Sabha is more crucial than ever.
Another important factor is that Radhakrishnan carries little political baggage. Unlike Dhankhar, who came into the role with a regional identity and a history of sharp political battles, Radhakrishnan is viewed as a figure of inclusiveness. Sources suggest that he broadens the BJP’s political imagination from narrow caste-region equations to a more national perspective. In a sense, he embodies the BJP’s attempt to weave South India into its broader national narrative.
On the very first day of the new parliamentary session, he stepped down just hours after accepting the Opposition’s proposal for the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, a move that reportedly came without consultation with the government. This unilateral decision rattled the BJP’s leadership, raising questions about his judgment and relationship with the party’s central leadership. For many observers, it was only a matter of time before the BJP moved to reset the tone of the Vice President’s office.
It wants the Rajya Sabha to function smoothly, it wants to shed the perception of hostility between the Vice President and the Opposition, and it wants to use the moment to strengthen its standing in the South.
The contrast between Dhankhar and Radhakrishnan is striking, almost symbolic. One represented a confrontational, combative, and impulsive style that often led to political turbulence. The other represents calm, inclusiveness, and ideological steadiness—qualities the BJP now sees as more suited for the times ahead.
In the end, politics is about timing, and the BJP seems to have decided that this was the right moment for a 180-degree turn. CP Radhakrishnan’s journey from a Jan Sangh worker at 17 to potentially becoming the Vice President of India reflects not just his personal growth but also the evolving needs of his party. Whether he succeeds in restoring calm and consensus to the Rajya Sabha remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: his tenure will mark a new chapter, very different from that of Jagdeep Dhankhar.