New Delhi: Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the 15th Vice-President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presence of several dignitaries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Vice-Presidents Jagdeep Dhankhar and Hamid Ansari, Cabinet Ministers, and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attended the ceremony. This marked Dhankhar’s first public appearance since his resignation on July 21, citing health reasons.

Dhankhar, accompanied by his wife Sudesh Dhankhar, was seated in the front row along with Ansari, M Venkaiah Naidu, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. He stayed on for tea after the ceremony, where he was greeted by Cabinet colleagues and engaged by Opposition leaders on his health. According to sources, there was some disquiet over seating arrangements. Kharge was placed in the second row, while floor leaders of other Opposition parties were seated in the fifth row. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was seated in the fourth row.