NDA gave PM from backward class, President from Dalit and tribal communities: G Kishan Reddy

ANI
23 Aug 2025, 18:38 GMT+10

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 23 (ANI): Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday highlighted the NDA's focus on social representation, saying the party actively works to empower leaders from backward communities.

He noted that it was the NDA that gave a Prime Minister from a backwards community, and has now nominated a VP candidate from the same.

Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, 'Today, the Congress party is continuously discussing reservations for the backwards class, but for the first time since independence, we have a Prime Minister from a backwards community. When the NDA got the opportunity to choose a President for the first time, we made Abdul Kalam the President, and the second time, Ramnath Kovind from the Dalit community, and the third time, Droupadi Murmu from the tribal community was made President.'

'We don't just talk; we are a party that works with commitment. Currently, the maximum number of ministers in the central government comes from the backwards classes. Fortunately, today, CP Radhakrishnan, who also served as Governor in various states, is the NDA's candidate,' he added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that Radhakrishnan would serve as an 'outstanding' Vice President.

'The NDA family is confident that he will be an outstanding VP and will enrich our journey towards national progress,' PM Modi wrote on X.

CP Radhakrishnan on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the Vice Presidential elections in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, who has been the Maharashtra Governor since July 31, 2024, had earlier also served as the Governor of Jharkhand, Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

The Election Commission had earlier announced that polling for the Vice Presidential election would take place on September 9, with counting of votes scheduled for the same day.

The Vice Presidential post fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 21, citing health reasons. (ANI)