Maharashtra’s former Governor, Radhakrishnan, has taken the oath as India’s new Vice President. The ceremony was held on Friday at 10:10 a.m. local time at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and other top government leaders attended the swearing-in. Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was also present with his spouse, marking his first public appearance since resigning on July 21.
Dhankhar resigned before completing his five-year term due to health reasons, prompting the election of a new Vice President. In the election held last Tuesday, NDA-backed candidate Radhakrishnan won with 452 votes, defeating B. Sudarshan Reddy, a retired Supreme Court judge and the candidate supported by the opposition alliance ‘India’, who received 300 votes.
Radhakrishnan will serve as Vice President for the next five years. According to the Constitution, he will also serve as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament. During Dhankhar’s tenure, the Rajya Sabha faced criticism over alleged partisan conduct. Opposition parties hope that the new Vice President will adopt a more neutral and balanced approach.