A PM from Tamil Nadu in future? Vice President Radhakrishnan says it's possible

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Friday said a Tamilian could become Prime Minister in the future, noting that leaders from different parts of India have held the post.

Responding to a question from reporters during a visit to Madurai, he said every citizen has the opportunity to lead in a democracy like India and that someone from Tamil Nadu could also become Prime Minister.

“We have had a PM from Karnataka. We now have a PM from Gujarat,” he said, referring to former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, respectively.

While no one from Tamil Nadu has become Prime Minister, three people from the state have served as President and three as Vice President, including the incumbent Radhakrishnan.

Radhakrishnan, who represented Coimbatore as a BJP MP from 1998 to 2004, visited the Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.

The Vice President, Arlekar and former Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan also paid floral tributes to freedom fighter and spiritual leader Muthuramalinga Thevar at his memorial in Pasumpon, a town near Madurai.

Speaking to reporters, the Vice President described Thevar as a staunch follower of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who played a vital role in the national and spiritual awakening of the Tamil region.

He said Thevar never compromised his principles for political gain, even though he had the potential to become chief minister.

He said Thevar never compromised his principles for political gain, even though he had the potential to become chief minister.- Ends