Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was sworn in as India’s 15th Vice President on Friday at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. President Draupadi Murmu swore him in.
The event was witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Andhra Pradesh Cheif Minister Chandrababu Naidu, and other senior functionaries. Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar also graced the occasion with his presence to witness the swearing-in of his successor.
Election Victory and Support
Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with a long association with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was elected vice-president on Tuesday. He defeated Opposition nominee and former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy by getting 452 votes to his opponent’s 300 votes.
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Of 781 MPs, 767 voted, a turnout of 98.2%. 75 of them were valid votes, leaving the necessary majority at 377. Although the NDA had the backing of 427 MPs, Radhakrishnan polled 14 votes in excess of the anticipated figure, a sign of suspected cross-voting from the Opposition. Eleven YSRCP MPs also supported him.
Reactions and Absentees
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the newly elected Vice President and believed Radhakrishnan would ‘strengthen India’s constitutional values and contribute positively to parliamentary discourse’.
Thirteen MPs abstained from voting as well, seven of whom belong to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), four to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), one to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and one was an Independent member.
