C P Radhakrishnan sworn in as 15th Vice President of India

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a seasoned politician with deep roots in the RSS and BJP, took oath as India’s 15th Vice President on Friday. At 67, he succeeds Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned unexpectedly on July 21. President Droupadi Murmu administered oath to Radhakrishnan at a brief ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan this morning. Dressed in a red kurta, Radhakrishnan took oath in English in the name of God.

Dhankhar also attended the ceremony in his first public appearance since his resignation as VP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president JP Nadda were among those who attended the programme.
Former vice presidents Hamid Ansari and Venkaiah Naidu were also present at the ceremony.

His supporters believe Radhakrishnan’s extensive political and administrative experience will also serve him well as the ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. He is the third leader from Tamil Nadu to occupy the coveted post.

A soft-spoken and non-confrontational leader, Radhakrishnan won the vice presidential election on Tuesday by securing 452 votes against opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes. In his first public remarks, Radhakrishnan described the election as a victory for nationalistic ideology and pledged to work toward making India a developed nation by 2047.

“From the voting pattern, it is clear that nationalistic ideology has emerged victorious. This is a victory for every Indian. We must now focus on development rather than politics,” he said.

Political and administrative journey
Named after former President S Radhakrishnan, Radhakrishnan was born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu. His mother, Janaki Ammal, recalled that she named him after the President who was in office at the time, joking that it might one day inspire him to reach the highest offices—a prophecy fulfilled with his election as Vice President.

Radhakrishnan began his political journey as a teenager with the RSS and later joined the BJP. He served as a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure and was considered for a Union minister post in 1998, but lost out due to confusion over his name. He became the Tamil Nadu BJP secretary in 1996 and its state president between 2003 and 2006, undertaking a 19,000-km Rath Yatra over 93 days.

He later held gubernatorial assignments in Jharkhand, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Puducherry, earning respect across party lines. Before his vice presidential nomination, he was serving as the Governor of Maharashtra, having taken office on July 31, 2024.

Personal profile
Radhakrishnan belongs to the Kongu Vellalar Gounder community and is widely regarded as untainted by legal controversies. An avid sportsperson, he was a college champion in table tennis and a long-distance runner, and enjoys cricket and volleyball.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his record: “Thiru CP Radhakrishnan Ji has rich experience as MP and Governor. His parliamentary interventions were incisive, and during his gubernatorial tenures, he focused on challenges faced by common citizens. He has vast knowledge of legislative and Constitutional matters, and I am confident he will be an inspiring Vice President.”

Radhakrishnan’s candidacy also marks a historic first: he is the first OBC leader from South India to assume the Vice President’s office. His career, spanning electoral, organisational, and constitutional responsibilities, positions him to make a lasting impact as India’s second-highest constitutional authority.