BJP's Veep Pick Will Cause Cracks In Opposition Bloc? It Depends On...

With Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan named as the National Democratic Alliance's candidate for Vice President, the BJP has made a calculated move that blends hard electoral arithmetic with a deeper regional strategy.

His nomination is not merely a reward for loyalty -- it signals the BJP's renewed push to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu and the southern states, where it has historically struggled to gain traction.

For example, what would be the stand of Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK?

Earlier too, the names of presidential and vice-presidential candidates have caused cracks within the Opposition.

DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan also called the NDA's vice president pick "a good decision", but said the DMK is part of the INDIA bloc and it will follow the alliance's decision.

"It is a welcome move. He (Mr Radhakrishnan) is a Tamilian and after a long time a Tamilian may become the vice president of India. INDIA bloc also has its own choice, and DMK will go by the decision of the alliance," Mr Elangovan told NDTV on whether the DMK would support Mr Radhakrishnan.

In the past, when the UPA nominated Pratibha Patil as its candidate, the Shiv Sena - despite being part of the NDA - supported her because she was from Maharashtra.

Similarly, when the UPA nominated Pranab Mukherjee, both Shiv Sena and the JD(U), despite being in the NDA, extended their support.

And when the NDA nominated Ram Nath Kovind, JD(U) - despite being in the Opposition at the time - supported him because he was the governor of Bihar.

In the last election, when the NDA nominated Jagdeep Dhankhar for Vice President, the Trinamool Congress abstained from voting. Mr Dhankhar and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's often had acrimonious exchanges over a wide range of matters.

Mr Dhankhar went on to become Vice President who secured the highest number of votes.

This time the NDA has 422 votes, while Mr Dhankhar received 528 votes in the previous election. Once again, parties like BJD, YSRCP, and BRS which together hold 22 MPs, may back the NDA.

The DMK, with 32 MPs and being the largest party in Tamil Nadu, faces a dilemma - should it support its state's candidate, especially since elections are due in Tamil Nadu next year?

If elected, Mr Radhakrishnan will become the third leader from Tamil Nadu to be Vice President.

With the Opposition INDIA bloc set to announce its own candidate, the stance of anti-BJP parties depends on who the Opposition chooses.