Today, Jagdeep Dhankhar takes the oath of office as India's 14th Vice President. He will also serve as the Rajya Sabha's de facto chairman. At 12.30 p.m., President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath. M Venkaiah Naidu's term as India's Vice President ends today. The Vice President also serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla hosted Naidu and his successor Dhankhar at his residence on Tuesday. The Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a statement that Naidu and Birla discussed issues of national interest and parliamentary affairs with Vice President-elect Dhankhar.
Dhankhar, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance candidate, won the vice-presidential election on Sunday with the highest vote share of 74.36 percent in the last six vice presidential elections, garnering 528 votes to Margaret Alva's 182 votes.
On Sunday, the Election Commission issued a certificate announcing the election of NDA candidate Dhankhar as India's 14th Vice President. Dhankar's "Certification of Election" was signed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey.
According to the poll panel, senior Deputy Election Commissioner Dharmendra Sharma and Narendra N Butolia, senior Principal Secretary in the EC, handed over a signed copy of the certificate to the Union Home Secretary. The signed copy will be read aloud at the new Vice President's inauguration ceremony on August 11.
As outgoing Vice President, Naidu hosted a series of high tea receptions in the last week for officials and staffers from the VP Secretariat, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, the team of doctors, and the Air Force crew who assisted him. The members of these gatherings gave Naidu an emotional farewell, recalling their pleasant memories of working for the Vice President, according to the statement.
