'When He Was Born...': Vice President Pick CPR's Mother On Why She Named Him Radhakrishnan

Last Updated:August 18, 2025, 13:01 IST

CP Radhakrishnan’s mother, Janaki Ammal, said she named her son after former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, praying he would grow up to be like him.

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan/his mother Janaki Ammal (Photos: PTI/Video screengrab)

The mother of Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan has expressed joy at her son being named as the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s vice-presidential pick, and revealed that she named her son after former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

As she celebrated his son’s success and distributed sweets, she told family, party workers, and the media that when Radhakrishnan, popularly known as CPR, was born, her family prayed that he be like the former President.

“When my son was born, we prayed to God that he would be like former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan," CP Radhakrishnan’s mother Janaki Ammal said.

“We named him after the former President. Today, that moment has come true," she added.

In videos widely shared on social media, Janaki Ammal could be seen eating and distributing sweets to loved ones. 

She could later be seen addressing the media. 

On Sunday, Maharashta Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with an RSS background, was named the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling NDA.

BJP president JP Nadda made the announcement following a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and consulting the party’s allies.

Nadda appealed for the unanimous election of Radhakrishnan (67), an OBC leader and two-time former member of Lok Sabha, to the constitutional position, saying the BJP leaders had spoken to the opposition parties last week and will continue to do so.

Radhakrishnan belongs to the influential Gounder caste, an OBC community, in Tamil Nadu.

Nadda emphasised his nearly 40 years in public life, noting that he is well-regarded in different parties and commands respect among various sections of society.

Unlike his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who was also a governor like him before being named as the NDA’s vice-presidential nominee in 2022, Radhakrishnan has refrained from cultivating a public profile on political issues and skirted any controversy.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will likely oversee the vice-presidential election, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will be the polling agent. 

The last date for filing nomination is August 21.

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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First Published:

August 18, 2025, 12:59 IST

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