NEW DELHI, India -- Vice President Ramaswamy Venkataraman, a member of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's Congress (I) Party and a veteran of India's independence struggle, Thursday was declared the nation's eighth president.
Venkataraman, 77, who has been vice president since 1984, will assume office July 25, when the five-year term of President Zail Singh expires.
While traditionally the presidency is a largely ceremonial post, a dispute between Gandhi and Singh erupted in March when the president leaked a letter he had written to the prime minister criticizing him.
In the letter, Singh accused Gandhi of lying to Parliament in saying he was abiding by a constitutional rule to inform the president of important affairs of state.
Venkataraman was declared the winner of a three-way race for president after Election Commission officials finished counting votes cast Monday by members of Parliament and India's 25 state legislatures.
Venkataraman, a Congress Party veteran from southern Tamil Nadu state, secured majorities in the 14 state assemblies held by his party. He also was supported by 606 of the 755 Parliament members who voted. The Congress Party holds huge majorities in both chambers.
Venkataraman's main rival, R. Krishna Iyer, took majorities in eight non-Congress legislatures and was backed by 139 members of Parliament. Iyer is a leftist former Supreme Court justice who ran as a consensus candidate of the major opposition parties.
A third candidate, Mithilesh Kumar Sinha -- self-styled leader of the Goodmans Party -- captured the votes of four state assemblymen and two members of Parliament.
The president is India's head of state, performing ceremonial functions, routinely signing legislation. He lives in the former British viceroy's sprawling red sandstone palace.
Venkataraman gained a reputation as an able administrator during his long years in public life, which began when he joined the struggle for independence from Britain. He entered politics after becoming a prominent labor leader and has served in state and central government posts during his 37-year career.
He was appointed finance minister in 1980 by assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi before becoming vice president.
Known as 'RV,' Venkataraman is expected to restore calm to the post following the stormy relations between his predecessor and Gandhi.
