‘Coimbatore’s Vajpayee’ takes charge as Maharashtra governor
Despite his reputation as a hardcore RSS/ BJP leader, Radhakrishnan is known as ‘Ajatshatru’ or ‘right person in the wrong party’
Mumbai: CP Radhakrishnan, who was sworn in as the governor of Maharashtra at a function at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, was known as the ‘Vajpayee of Coimbatore’ and ‘Ajatshatru’ in Tamil Nadu’s political circles, where he spent a considerable part of his political life.
Born on May 4, 1957, Radhakrishnan joined the Jan Sangh, precursor to the BJP, in 1974, when he was 17 years old. He also served as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Tirupur town sangh head, taluka sangh head and district sangh head.
Considered close to former prime minister AB Vajpayee and former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani, he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1998, weeks after serial bomb blasts rocked Coimbatore during Advani’s election rally, killing 58 persons. Reelected in 1999, he grew close to both top leaders but lost the three subsequent Lok Sabha elections in 2004, 2014 and 2019.
He also served as the party’s state president between 2004 and 2007, and undertook two rath yatras during his tenure, including a 19,000-km march over 93 consecutive days seeking river-linking, imposition of a common civil law and eradication of untouchability and narcotics, among others.
During the recent Lok Sabha poll, Radhakrishnan was keen to contest from Coimbatore, his traditional constituency. But the party’s state unit was riddled with factionalism and its central leadership chose to appoint him and La Ganeshan, the main leaders of the two factions, as governors, leaving the Coimbatore seat for former IPS officer Anna Malai, said a BJP leader from Tamil Nadu.
“The party leadership, which saw factionalism as the main hurdle in its progress, appointed Radhakrishnan and Ganeshan as the governor of Jharkhand and Nagaland, respectively in February last year. This allowed Anna Malai to be projected as the party’s face in Coimbatore and gave a clear signal to Radhakrishnan about his political future,” said the BJP leader. Anna Malai eventually lost Coimbatore to the DMK’s Ganapathi P Rajkumar.
The leader said that Radhakrishnan would have liked to work in the organisation at the national level as well, but the incumbent central leadership chose to appoint him governor instead.
Despite his reputation as a hardcore RSS/ BJP leader, Radhakrishnan is known as ‘Ajatshatru’ or ‘right person in the wrong party’ in state politics as he shares cordial relations with leaders across party lines. He is also popular among people from various sections of society.
“Radhakrishnan hails from Coimbatore’s dominant Vellala Gounder caste and is popular among voters as a good leader and human being. He is also termed as the Vajpayee of Coimbatore,” said a senior local journalist representing a Tamil daily.
Outside politics, Radhakrishnan is credited as the first exporter from Tirupur who introduced 100% knitted cotton fabric in Bangladesh and ran a successful textile brand named ‘Spice’. An avid sportsperson, he was also a college champion in table tennis and long distance running.
On Wednesday, when he took oath as the twenty-first governor of Maharashtra, his family members including wife Sumathi R, son Harisastivel R, daughter-in-law Madhumita R, daughter Abhirami R and grandchildren were present at Raj Bhavan. Radhakrishnan expressed happiness for the opportunity to serve the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, saying, “Shivaji Maharaj was the real advocate of secular ideology. I would support the government in its efforts for the upliftment of the poor, SCs, STs and OBCs. There is no other way save development to eradicate poverty.”
A state BJP leader said that compared to previous instances of tussles between political parties and the governor in Maharashtra and other states, Radhakrishnan would prove to be a dignified governor.