NDA's Vice President Candidate CP Radhakrishnan Files Nomination, Accompanied By PM Modi

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)'s Vice Presidential Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan on Wednesday filed his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers - in a massive show of strength and unity ahead of the September 9 election.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Health Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari were among those who accompanied Mr Radhakrishnan, who is the Maharashtra Governor, to file his nomination before the returning officer. 

Sources said four sets of papers were filed as part of the nomination process. PM Modi was the chief proposer in the first set of documents.

Earlier, the Vice Presidential candidate visited and paid tributes at Prerna Sthal, which houses statues of iconic personalities in Parliament complex. He first bowed before the giant statue of Mahatma Gandhi and then proceeded to paying tributes to other noted personalities

Mr Radhakrishnan was picked as NDA's candidate on Sunday. The announcement was made by Mr JP Nadda during a press conference following the party's Parliamentary Board meeting held in the national capital.

Mr Radhakrishnan has previously served as a Member of Parliament and as Governor of Jharkhand and Telangana. A veteran BJP leader, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore twice and previously served as the Tamil Nadu BJP State President.

Prime Minister Modi praised his "dedication, humility, and intellect", noting his long-standing grassroots work in Tamil Nadu. On Tuesday, he was felicitated during the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting. 

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA enjoying a comfortable majority in the electoral college comprising MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Mr Radhakrishnan's win is a certainty.