Jagdeep Dhankhar was sworn in as the 14th Vice-President of India at a brief oath taking ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 11, 2022.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Mr Dhankhar, 71, who took the oath in Hindi in the name of God.
"Bahut-bahut badhai (many congratulations)," President Murmu said after Mr Dhankhar signed the register of oath. Before his swearing-in, the Election Commission's certification of election issued to Mr. Dhankhar was read out.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former President Ram Nath Kovind, Mr Dhankhar's predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu, former Vice-President M Hamid Ansari and Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Sarbananda Sonowal and Smriti Irani were among the dignitaries who were present on the occasion.
Also read: Jagdeep Dhankhar | The party loyalist
In the morning, after visiting Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial,Mr Dhankhar tweeted, “Felt blessed, inspired and motivated to be ever in service of Bharat in serene sublimity of Raj Ghat while paying respects to pujya Bapu”.
Known for his highly visible tenure as West Bengal Governor with his frequent run-ins with Trinamool Congress (TMC), Mr Dhankhar was declared elected as the Vice President on August 6 after he secured 528 votes against his Opposition’s joint candidate Margaret Alva who managed only 182 votes.
His long legal career at the Supreme Court and the Rajasthan High Court and a brief stint as a minister of state for parliamentary affairs minister at the Centre in the Chandrashekhar government will help him to preside over the proceedings of Rajya Sabha as its Chairman.
Mr Dhankhar, who had been associated with the Janata Dal and the Congress, joined the BJP only in 2008 after a gap of almost 10 years. He has championed issues related to Other Backward Classes, including the grant of OBC status to the Jat community in Rajasthan.
While announcing his candidature for the vice presidential election, the BJP described him as a “kisan putra,” a move seen as reaching out to the politically significant Jat community which had participated in huge numbers in the year-long farmers' protests.
