Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was sworn in on Friday as the 15th Vice President of India at a formal ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Radhakrishnan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior government officials, and political leaders.
LIVE: Swearing-in-Ceremony of the Vice President-elect of India Shri C P Radhakrishnan https://t.co/dQbY3tRks9
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The event was attended by several prominent leaders, including former Vice Presidents Jagdeep Dhankhar and Venkaiah Naidu, former President Ram Nath Kovind, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and other dignitaries.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the Oath of Office of Vice President of India to Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan at a Swearing-in-Ceremony held at Ganatantra Mandap, Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, former President of India Shri… pic.twitter.com/EcRgJe4gul
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Radhakrishnan, the NDA nominee, was elected on September 9, securing 452 votes against Opposition candidate and former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, who polled 300 votes.
According to Returning Officer and Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody, 767 out of 781 MPs cast their votes, recording a turnout of 98.2 percent. Of these, 752 ballots were valid and 15 were invalid, bringing the required majority to 377.
While the NDA had the support of 427 MPs on paper, 11 lawmakers from the YSRCP also backed Radhakrishnan. The NDA nominee eventually received 14 votes more than expected, raising speculation of cross-voting.
PM Modi Congratulates CP Radhakrishnan
Following the result, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Radhakrishnan, saying he was confident the new Vice President would uphold constitutional values and enrich parliamentary debate.
“Congratulations to Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji on winning the 2025 Vice Presidential election. His life has always been devoted to serving society and empowering the poor and marginalised. I am confident that he will be an outstanding VP, who will strengthen our Constitutional values and enhance Parliamentary discourse,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Radhakrishnan succeeds Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned on July 21 citing medical reasons, more than two years before the scheduled end of his term in August 2027. Reports had earlier suggested unease between Dhankhar and the Centre, particularly after his refusal to align with the government on the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma.
The Vice President of India is elected by an Electoral College comprising elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and elected members of the Lok Sabha. Under Clause 2 of Article 68 of the Constitution, any vacancy in the office must be filled “as soon as possible,” and the newly elected Vice President is entitled to hold office for a full five-year term from the date of assuming charge.
