New Delhi : Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was formally sworn in as the 15th Vice President of India on Friday in a solemn ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office, marking the official beginning of Radhakrishnan’s term as the second-highest constitutional authority in the country.
The ceremony was attended by a host of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Cabinet ministers, and prominent leaders from across the political spectrum. Among those present were Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife were also in attendance, symbolizing the transition of the office. Notably absent was Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a senior Congress figure, who skipped the event, prompting political speculation.
Victory with Cross-Party Support
Radhakrishnan, the NDA’s nominee for the Vice Presidential race, secured a decisive victory on Tuesday, defeating the INDIA bloc’s candidate B. Sudershan Reddy by a margin of 152 votes. Of the 781 eligible Members of Parliament from both Houses, 767 cast their ballots, with a high voter turnout of 98.2%.
Radhakrishnan received 452 votes, surpassing the NDA’s projected numbers by 14—raising questions of potential cross-voting within the Opposition ranks. Reddy garnered 300 votes, while 15 ballots were declared invalid.
A Milestone for Tamil Nadu
With his elevation, CP Radhakrishnan becomes the third Vice President from Tamil Nadu, following the footsteps of eminent leaders like S. Radhakrishnan (1952–1962) and R. Venkataraman (1984–1987).
Prior to assuming this role, Radhakrishnan resigned as the Governor of Maharashtra. President Murmu subsequently assigned additional charge of the Maharashtra Raj Bhavan to Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, as confirmed in an official communiqué from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
First Steps in Office
Following the oath-taking, Vice President Radhakrishnan is scheduled to hold a meeting with all floor leaders of the Rajya Sabha at 12:30 PM on Friday. The meeting is expected to set the tone for Radhakrishnan’s approach to his constitutional role as the Chairman of the Upper House.
As the Vice President, Radhakrishnan will play a pivotal role in maintaining parliamentary decorum and facilitating legislative proceedings in a politically dynamic environment.
