Shortly after the BJP-led NDA fielded Maharashtra Governor and former Coimbatore MP C.P. Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the upcoming polls for the post of Vice-President, several political party leaders, including AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami and TMC (Moopanar) leader G.K. Vasan, had appealed to parties in Tamil Nadu to sink differences and back his candidature. The last time a candidate hailing from Tamil Nadu was fielded for the post was 41 years ago – when R. Venkataraman entered the fray.
However, now, the Opposition INDIA bloc, of which the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu is a constituent, has announced former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy, who hails from Telangana, as their nominee to take on Mr Radhakrishnan.
While Mr. Radhakrishnan’s victory is likely guaranteed on account of the NDA’s numbers in both Houses of Parliament, the DMK and its allies shall be opposing the “son of the soil” for political reasons. However, such a stand is not new for the Dravidian party.
On August 1, 1984, the Congress (I) Parliamentary board formally nominated R. Venkataraman, who was serving as the Defence Minister in Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet, for the office of Vice-President of India. He had earlier served as a Minister holding various portfolios in Madras State, playing an instrumental role in the State’s industrialisation.
