Radhakrishnan takes oath as 15th V-P; elusive Dhankhar attends ceremony

CP Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the 15th Vice-President of India on Friday in a brief ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. His predecessor, Jagdeep Dhankhar, was among the attendees.

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Radhakrishnan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of his Cabinet.

Dhankhar, who sat alongside former Vice-Presidents Hamid Ansari and M Venkaiah Naidu, made his first public appearance at an official function since his sudden resignation on July 21. He had previously congratulated Radhakrishnan following the Vice-Presidential election on September 9.

Other dignitaries present included Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Radhakrishnan, the NDA nominee, was elected Vice-President on September 9 after securing 452 votes. His opponent, former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, had received 300 votes.

The election was necessitated after Dhankhar resigned more than two years before the end of his term, which was scheduled to conclude on August 10, 2027. While he cited health reasons, sources suggested a deeper unease and a reported breakdown of trust with the Centre may have been factors.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated Radhakrishnan in a post on X, saying, “Attended the oath-taking ceremony of Thiru CP Radhakrishnan. A dedicated public servant, he has devoted his life to nation-building, social service and strengthening democratic values. Wishing him a successful Vice-Presidential tenure, dedicated to the service of the people.”