New Delhi, Sept 12 — Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan on Friday formally assumed charge as the 15th Vice President of India, taking the oath of office in the presence of top political leaders and dignitaries at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to the 67-year-old leader at a brief but solemn ceremony held in the Durbar Hall. Radhakrishnan, dressed in a red kurta, took his oath in English “in the name of God.”
The swearing-in followed his victory in the vice presidential election held earlier this week. Radhakrishnan, the National Democratic Alliance’s nominee, defeated joint opposition candidate B. Sudershan Reddy by a margin of 152 votes. The contest was necessitated by the unexpected resignation of then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, who stepped down citing health concerns.
In a significant moment, Dhankhar, making his first public appearance since his resignation, was also present at the ceremony.
The event drew several senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP president J.P. Nadda. Former vice presidents Hamid Ansari and M. Venkaiah Naidu also joined the gathering, underscoring the occasion’s importance.
After his election, Radhakrishnan relinquished his responsibilities as Governor of Maharashtra on Thursday. Following this, President Murmu assigned Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat the additional charge of Maharashtra “until further orders,” according to a statement released by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, a senior government official described the transition as “smooth and dignified,” noting that Radhakrishnan’s swearing-in marked “a continuation of constitutional propriety and democratic process.”
