New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan took the oath of office as the 15th Vice President of India in a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath in a formal ceremony attended by senior political leaders and dignitaries from across the national political spectrum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced the ceremony and offered his felicitations to the newly sworn-in Vice President.

Alongside him, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among the Union Ministers present.

Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was also in attendance.

Radhakrishnan’s election as Vice President followed his victory in the Vice Presidential election, in which he secured 452 first-preference votes against opposition candidate B. Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes.

The ceremony was scheduled, with invitations sent out to senior NDA leaders as well as leaders of the opposition.

Before taking the oath, Radhakrishnan was serving as the Governor of Maharashtra, a role from which he stepped down.

In his election win, political analysts noted Radhakrishnan’s reputation as a relatively non-confrontational leader rooted in the RSS, which many believe contributed to his acceptance across both government and opposition benches. He has pledged, following his victory, to uphold constitutional values and work for the nation’s development.

The Vice President of India also serves as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

With his oath-taking, Radhakrishnan starts his tenure hoping to bring stability, uphold the dignity of office, and act as a bridge across political divides.

The event marks a new chapter for the vice-presidential office and sets the stage for how he will conduct his role in the coming years.

–IANS

rs/dpb