C.P. Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the 15th Vice President of India today at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The oath of office was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at 10:10 am in English. The oath ceremony was attended by several top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Vice Presidents Jagdeep Dhankhar and M. Venkaiah Naidu, former President Ram Nath Kovind, and Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Nitin Gadkari, along with many other dignitaries.

Radhakrishnan, 67, is a senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with long-standing links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He won the vice-presidential election with 452 votes, defeating the Opposition INDIA bloc candidate and former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, who secured 300 votes.

His victory was seen as certain, given the numerical strength of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). On paper, the NDA had 427 Members of Parliament, but Radhakrishnan also received support from the YSR Congress Party’s 11 MPs and several smaller parties. Reports suggest there may have been some cross-voting in his favour as well, which helped him easily cross the required majority mark of 377 votes.

The election was held after the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, who stepped down citing health reasons. Ahead of taking up his new role, Radhakrishnan resigned as the Governor of Maharashtra on Thursday. President Murmu has given Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat the additional charge of Maharashtra until a new governor is appointed.

Radhakrishnan’s political journey has been long and steady. He began his career with the Jana Sangh, which later merged into the BJP. He went on to serve as a two-time Member of Parliament from Coimbatore and also worked as the chief of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Over the years, he has earned a reputation as a dedicated party worker and an experienced leader. With his election, Radhakrishnan now takes on the responsibility of serving as the Vice President of India, the second-highest constitutional office in the country.