Mumbai: C. P. Radhakrishnan started his journey in public life as an RSS Swayamsevak, had a long stint with the BJP discharging vital responsibilities, and served as governor for multiple states till his nomination as the Centre's ruling NDA for the post of Vice President.
He was sworn in as the Governor of Maharashtra on July 31, 2024.
Before that, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand for nearly one and a half years. He also held additional charge as the Governor of Telangana and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry for brief periods.
With more than four decades of organisational and administrative experience, Radhakrishnan is a respected name in Tamil Nadu's polity and public life.
Born in 1957 in TN's Tiruppur, Shri Radhakrishnan earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
Starting as an RSS Swayamsevak, he became a State Executive Committee Member of the Bharatiya Janasangh in 1974.
In 1996, Radhakrishnan was appointed the Secretary of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Coimbatore in 1998, and re-elected next year.
During his tenure as an MP, Radhakrishnan served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Textiles. He was also a member of the Parliamentary Committee for Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and the Consultative Committee for Finance.
He was a member of the Parliamentary Special Committee investigating the Stock Exchange Scam.
In 2004, Radhakrishnan addressed the UN General Assembly as part of the Parliamentary Delegation. He was also a member of the first Parliamentary delegation to Taiwan.
Between 2004 and 2007, Radhakrishnan served as the State President of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. In this role, he undertook a 19,000 km 'Ratha Yatra' that lasted for 93 days.
The Yatra was organised to highlight his demands for the linking of all Indian rivers, eradicating terrorism, implementing a uniform civil code, removing untouchability and combating the menace of narcotic drugs. He also led two more Padayatras for different causes.
In 2016, Radhakrishnan was named as the Chairman of the Coir Board, Kochi, a position he held for four years. Under his leadership, coir exports from India reached an all-time high of Rs. 2532 crores. From 2020 to 2022, he was the All India in Charge of the BJP for Kerala.
On February 18, 2023, Radhakrishnan was appointed as the Governor of Jharkhand.
Within the first four months of his tenure, he travelled to all the 24 districts of Jharkhand, interacting with citizens and district officials. He also held additional charges as the Governor of Telangana and as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
Since taking charge as the Governor of Maharashtra, Radhakrishnan has travelled across the length and breadth of Maharashtra. He interacted with people's representatives, officials, business leaders and met the cross-section of society.
The Governor has taken a keen interest in enhancing the quality of, and access to Higher education. He has taken a series of steps in the realm of tribal welfare.
An avid sportsperson, Radhakrishnan was a college champion in table tennis and a long-distance runner. He also enjoys cricket and volleyball.
Widely travelled, Radhakrishnan has visited the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Turkey, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Egypt, UAE, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Japan.
