NEW DELHI, INDIA — C.P. Radhakrishnan was today sworn in as the 15th Vice President of India at a formal ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office, marking the beginning of his tenure as the nation’s second-highest constitutional functionary.
The ceremony was attended by a host of prominent dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former President Ram Nath Kovind, and the outgoing Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Several Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, J.P. Nadda, Piyush Goyal, and Nitin Gadkari, were also present to witness the event.
A native of Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Mr. Radhakrishnan secured his victory in the Vice-Presidential elections held on September 9. As the nominee of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he garnered 452 votes, defeating the I.N.D.I.A. bloc’s candidate, former Supreme Court Judge B. Sudershan Reddy, by a margin of 152 votes.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Vice President Radhakrishnan paid his respects to the nation’s leaders, offering floral tributes at Rajghat to Mahatma Gandhi and at Sadaiv Atal to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
In a social media post, Prime Minister Modi extended his wishes to the new Vice President, describing him as a “dedicated public servant” who has devoted his life to “nation-building, social service, and strengthening democratic values.” Mr. Radhakrishnan, an agriculturist and industrialist by profession, has a distinguished political career that began as a student leader and includes being elected twice to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore. He has also served as the Governor of Jharkhand and held additional charges as Governor of Telangana and Maharashtra, and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. His election makes him the third leader from Tamil Nadu to hold the esteemed office of Vice President.
