The Hindu : Shekhawat sworn in Vice-President

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2002

Front Page

Front Page

Shekhawat sworn in Vice-President

By Our Special Correspondent

The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, with the Vice-President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, and the Prime Minister, A.B.Vajpayee, and the Congress candidate, Sushil Kumar Shinde, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday. -- Photo Rajeev Bhatt.

NEW DELHI AUG. 19. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was today sworn in the 12th Vice-President. The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, administered the oath of office to Mr. Shekhawat at the Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The 79-year-old senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party took oath in Hindi at a brief ceremony attended by the former President, K. R. Narayanan, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, the Leader of the Opposition, Sonia Gandhi, the former Prime Ministers, I. K. Gujral, Chandra Shekhar and P.V. Narasimha Rao, dignitaries and a contingent of guests from Rajasthan, Mr. Shekhawat's home State.

Among the others who attended the swearing-in were the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa, Farooq Abdullah of Jammu and Kashmir and Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan. Ms. Jayalalithaa was invited personally by Mr. Shekhawat. She had taken strong exception at not being invited for the swearing-in ceremony of Dr. Kalam.

The Trinamool Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee, who had refused to vote for the NDA candidate protesting against the Eastern Railway bifurcation issue, was conspicuous by her presence. After his victory, Mr. Shekhawat had talked to Ms. Banerjee on telephone and she had called on him last Saturday.

Mr. Shekhawat, elected to the office on August 12, succeeds Krishan Kant, who died in office on July 27, nearly three weeks before his tenure was to end. Mr. Shekhawat defeated the joint Opposition candidate, Sushil Kumar Shinde, by a huge margin. Mr. Shinde was present at the ceremony.

The Vice-President later told mediapersons that he would rise above party lines and ensure that major issues facing the nation were thoroughly debated in the Rajya Sabha, of which he will be the Chairman.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

J&K polls will not be postponed, says Advani

We are ready, says Lyngdoh

Shekhawat sworn in Vice-President

Govt. not on collision course with EC: Advani

NHRC rejects Madhu Sharma's plea

Musharraf speech not helpful: Sinha

P. Shankar, new CVC

SC on Lokpal

U.P. firing: probe ordered

Actress plea rejected

8 killed in Kashmir

Cricketers say 'no'

Situation conducive to polls: Bhandari