CP Radhakrishnan And Jagdeep Dhankhar, BJP's 180-Degree Turn

After a little over two years with Jagdeep Dhankhar—who many in the Opposition view as someone who compromised the impartiality of his role—the BJP has now found a successor who is quite different. CP Radhakrishnan is seen as a strategic choice with a pan-South Indian appeal, representing a solid Jan Sangh background, in stark contrast to Mr. Dhankhar's Jat-heavy, outsider persona. Radhakrishnan is perceived as more mellow and inclusive, a refreshing change from Mr. Dhankhar's often impulsive and vocal nature. Mr. Dhankhar was appointed in 2022 during the Jat protests, signaling support for Jat farmers and reinforcing the idea that they are integral to the national power structure and deserve to be heard. Choosing Mr. Radhakrishnan indicates the BJP's ongoing strategy of OBC social engineering and its ambitions to expand in the south—an area where, aside from Karnataka, the party has struggled to gain a foothold. Radhakrishnan has quietly supported the Centre in the face of the DMK's sharp critiques, most recently reaching out to Chief Minister MK Stalin. He also took a stand against Udhayanidhi Stalin's comments on Sanatana dharma, dismissing him as immature. In Maharashtra, he has been actively involved, even responding to opposition requests not to approve the controversial Public Security Bill. His approach has been rooted in his institutional experience and ideological alignment, unlike Mr. Dhankhar, who often stirred controversy with his interventions. Mr. Dhankhar, an aggressive lawyer and outspoken politician, was known for his confrontational style. His time as Governor of Bengal was marked by frequent clashes with the Mamata Banerjee government, which often made headlines. His promotion to the Rajya Sabha was interpreted as the BJP sending a "tough enforcer" to that chamber, and soon after, Mr. Dhankhar was viewed as a partisan figure by the Opposition. This time around, Mr. Radhakrishnan was selected because his temperament aligns better with the constitutional role, signaling that the Rajya Sabha needs a sense of balance rather than aggression. Mr. Radhakrishnan also has deeper ideological ties to the BJP's guiding force, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), compared to Mr. Dhankhar. In contrast, Mr. Dhankhar came from a legal and political background without a long-standing connection to the RSS. He was viewed more as a practical political choice rather than an ideological insider. Since he was just 17, Mr. Radhakrishnan has been linked with the RSS and Jan Sangh. During his time as chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Dhankhar was known for his sharp interventions, legalistic arguments, and confrontational approach, which made it tough to reach consensus. However, the smooth operation of parliament relies on someone who can diffuse tensions, and Mr. Radhakrishnan is seen as a better fit for that role. Unlike Mr. Dhankhar, he doesn’t carry any political baggage and is viewed as a potential consensus candidate. While Mr. Dhankhar tends to narrow politics down to caste and region, Mr. Radhakrishnan is seen as someone who promotes national inclusiveness, according to sources. Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on the very first day of this parliamentary session, just hours after he accepted the Opposition's proposal to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma without informing the government. Mr. Dhankhar claimed his sudden departure was to focus on his health. However, NDTV later uncovered a series of events that led to the unexpected exit of a leader who had demonstrated his loyalty to the ruling party on numerous occasions.

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