India's new President Pranab Mukherjee takes the oath during the swearing-in ceremony at the Central Hall of the Parliament in New Delhi, India, July 25, 2012. India's former Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was sworn in as the country's new president Wednesday. (Xinhua)
NEW DELHI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- India's former Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was sworn in as the country's new president Wednesday.
The 77-year-old veteran politician was administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of India at the parliament at 11.30 a. m. local time, three days after he won the presidential poll defeating his main challenger and former Parliament Speaker P.A. Sangma by a huge margin.
Mukherjee, who won the presidential poll held on July 19, succeeded Pratibha Patil to become the country's 13th president. He was from the eastern state of West Bengal.
Supported by the ruling Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance, Mukherjee won 69 percent of the votes by the electorate comprising Members of Parliament and state legislators.
A holder of two masters degrees as well as a law degree from Calcutta University, Mukherjee had earlier held key portfolios like the foreign and defense ministers in his political career spanning over four decades.
The president is the head-of-state in India which is largely a ceremonial position and has a fixed tenure of five years.
NEW DELHI, July 22 (Xinhua) -- India's former Prime Minister Pranab Mukherjee was elected as the country's president on Sunday, winning more than 50 percent of the electoral college to defeat his main challenger and the former Parliament Speaker P.A. Sangma.
"I want to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to the people of India. I thank all the people of India. I received much more from the people of this country than I have given in my nearly five decades of public life," a jubilant Mukherjee told the media after the emphatic win. Full story
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