Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan took oath as the 15th Vice President on Friday, 12 September, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at the morning ceremony, attended by dignitaries, including PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Ministers JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, several CMs of BJP and NDA states.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also attended the ceremony. This was the first time he appeared in public since resigning unexpectedly on July 22, which led to the seat falling vacant. Dhankhar had not been seen in public since his resignation, sparking continuous questions from the opposition about his whereabouts and condition. His sudden disappearance had prompted the opposition to question the government about his whereabouts

Dhankhar was seen sitting alongside former Presidents Venkaiah Naidu and Hamid Ansari at the oath ceremony

At the ceremony, he arrived as a guest and was seen seated next to former Presidents Naidu and Ansari. Also in attendance were Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Haryana Deputy CM Satyender Saini, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, and several other senior leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, and other Union ministers also took part in the event.

Election outcome

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, the NDA nominee, was elected as the 15th Vice President of India on Tuesday, securing 452 votes against Opposition candidate and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes. Out of 781 MPs, 767 cast their ballots, recording a turnout of 98.2 per cent. Of the 752 valid votes, Radhakrishnan’s tally exceeded expectations by 14, sparking speculation of cross-voting from the Opposition.

While the NDA had the backing of 427 MPs on paper, support from 11 YSRCP MPs bolstered his margin. Meanwhile, 13 MPs abstained, including seven from the BJD, four from the BRS, one from the SAD and one Independent.

Who is CP Radhakrishnan?

A veteran BJP leader, Radhakrishnan has represented Coimbatore in the Lok Sabha twice and served as Tamil Nadu BJP President. He has also been Governor of Maharashtra and Jharkhand, while holding additional charge of Telangana and Puducherry. His victory follows Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation, paving the way for him to assume the Vice President’s office.