Jagdeep Dhankhar takes oath as Vice President

New Delhi, August 11

Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday took oath as the 14th Vice President.

The former West Bengal governor had recently defeated opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the poll.

Those present included former Vice Presidents M Venkaiah Naidu and Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

With this Dhankhar also becomes the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

Dhankhar was administered the oath of office by President Droupadi Murmu at a simple function.

Before the formal function could begin, Dhankhar was seen reaching out to all the dignitaries present there and exchanging greetings with them.

For the first time in the history of Independent India presiding officers of both Houses of Parliament come from one state. Dhankhar belongs to Rajasthan and Speaker Om Birla’s parliamentary constituency is Kota-Bundi in Rajasthan.

On August 7, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey jointly signed the ‘Certification of the Election of Jagdeep Dhankhar as the next Vice President of India’.