Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan took the oath of office as India’s 15th Vice President on Friday in a grand ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath, formally marking Radhakrishnan’s entry into the country’s second-highest constitutional position.
Radhakrishnan, the NDA nominee, had won the Vice Presidential election earlier this week, securing 452 votes against the Opposition candidate, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ceremony and extended his congratulations to the newly sworn-in Vice President. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among other Union Ministers present, while former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was seen for the first time publically after his resignation as the Vice President.
The event was carefully scheduled, with invitations sent to senior NDA leaders as well as opposition representatives. Prior to taking the oath, Radhakrishnan served as the Governor of Maharashtra, a position he vacated to assume his new role.
#WATCH | Delhi: Vice President-elect C.P. Radhakrishnan to take Oath of Office shortly. Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar is also present at the ceremony which will begin shortly.
(Video: DD) pic.twitter.com/tgMU5cWHWi
— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2025
Rajya Sabha Secretary General and Returning Officer PC Mody confirmed that out of 781 MPs, 767 cast their votes, recording an impressive turnout of 98.2%. Of these, 752 ballots were valid while 15 were invalid, setting the required majority for first-preference votes at 377.
While the NDA had 427 MPs supporting Radhakrishnan on paper, 11 additional lawmakers from the YSRCP extended their backing, resulting in a total 14 votes above expectations, a move that triggered speculation about cross-voting from the Opposition camp.
Thirteen MPs chose to abstain from voting, including seven from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), four from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), one from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and one Independent member.
Political analysts highlighted Radhakrishnan’s reputation as a relatively non-confrontational leader with roots in the RSS, which is seen as having contributed to his acceptance across both government and opposition benches. Following his victory, he has pledged to uphold constitutional values and work toward the nation’s development.
As Vice President, Radhakrishnan also assumes the role of ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. With his oath-taking, he begins his tenure aiming to ensure stability, uphold the dignity of the office, and serve as a bridge across political divides.
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