CP Radhakrishnan Sworn in as India’s 15th Vice-President

Delhi, September 12, 2025: CP Radhakrishnan was sworn in on Friday as the 15th Vice-President of India during a formal ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office.

The ceremony was attended by senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Rajnath Singh. Former Vice-Presidents Jagdeep Dhankhar, Venkaiah Naidu, and Hamid Ansari were also present. Other dignitaries in attendance included Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

Following the ceremony, Radhakrishnan paid floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

Nomination and Political Journey

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had nominated Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, a senior BJP leader aged 67, as its Vice-Presidential candidate.

Early Life

Born on 20 October 1957 in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan began his public life as a swayamsevak with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). By 1974, he became a State Executive Committee member of the Bharatiya Janasangh.

Parliamentary Career

Radhakrishnan was elected twice to the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore (1998 and 1999). He also served as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Textiles and contributed as a member of committees on Public Sector Undertakings and Finance. In 2004, he represented India at the UN General Assembly and was part of the first Indian delegation to Taiwan.

Leadership Roles in the BJP

Between 2004 and 2007, he was the BJP’s Tamil Nadu President and undertook a 93-day, 19,000-kilometre Ratha Yatra to strengthen the party’s presence. More recently, from 2020 to 2022, he served as the BJP’s All India in-charge for Kerala.

Gubernatorial Experience

With over four decades in politics, Radhakrishnan held gubernatorial positions before becoming Vice-President. He was Governor of Jharkhand from 2023 to 2024, during which he toured all 24 districts. In July 2024, he became the 24th Governor of Maharashtra, also holding additional charge of Telangana and Puducherry.

Source: Times of India

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