Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was officially sworn in as the 15th Vice-President of India in a grand ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning. The oath of office was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at 10:10 am in English, marking the beginning of Radhakrishnan’s tenure in the prestigious position.
The event was attended by a plethora of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former vice-presidents Jagdeep Dhankhar and M. Venkaiah Naidu, former president Ram Nath Kovind, and senior Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Nitin Gadkari. The presence of such esteemed guests highlighted the importance of Radhakrishnan’s inauguration.
Radhakrishnan, a seasoned leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hailing from Tamil Nadu, has strong ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). His victory in the vice-presidential election was decisive, as he secured 452 votes, surpassing the Opposition INDIA bloc’s nominee, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes.
The outcome of the election was largely expected, given the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s substantial parliamentary majority of 427 MPs. Additionally, support from the YSR Congress Party’s 11 MPs and various smaller parties ensured Radhakrishnan’s victory by a comfortable margin.
The election was necessitated by the sudden resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21 due to health reasons. In preparation for assuming his new role, Radhakrishnan stepped down as Governor of Maharashtra the day before his inauguration. President Murmu has appointed Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat to oversee Maharashtra until a new governor is appointed.
Radhakrishnan’s political career began with the Jana Sangh and later transitioned into the BJP, where he served as the party’s Tamil Nadu chief and represented Coimbatore in Parliament twice. With a wealth of experience spanning several decades, Radhakrishnan’s leadership as Vice-President is anticipated to make a significant impact on Indian politics.
