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Jagdeep Dhankhar takes oath as 14th Vice President of India
- President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath
- The ceremony was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan
- PM Narendra Modi was also present at the ceremony
Jagdeep Dhankhar, the former governor of West Bengal, was sworn in as the 14th Vice President of India on Thursday afternoon. The oath was administered by President Droupadi Murmu, who took office late last month.
Dhankar took the oath in presence of his predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The short ceremony was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Also Read: Jagdeep Dhankar elected VP: A look at his tussell with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
With Dhankhar’s election, the presiding officers of both Houses of Parliament will be from Rajasthan. The vice president is the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. Currently, Om Birla, who was elected to Lok Sabha from Rajasthan’s Kota, is the Lok Sabha speaker.
The numbers were stacked in favour of Dhankhar as the ruling BJP enjoys an absolute majority in Lok Sabha and has 91 members in Rajya Sabha. The BJP heads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Jagdeep Dhankhar also had the support of various parties that were not allied with the BJP-led NDA. These included Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal from Odisha, Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSR Congress from Andhra Pradesh, and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party.
He was branded as a “kisan putra” (farmer’s son) by the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also previously said that Dhankhar’s background in farming has been one of the reasons for his nomination.
Also Read: Explained: Why BJP chose Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice president nominee
Jagdeep Dhankhar comfortably defeated opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the elections, which were scheduled for August 6. He secured victory with 528 votes against Alva’s 182. Dhankhar secured 74.36%. He has the highest winning margin in the last six vice presidential elections held since 1997.
The Vice President of India, which is the second-highest constitutional post in the country, is elected through an electoral college consisting of members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
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