Hamid Ansari sworn in as India's 14th VP

NEW DELHI - Hamid Ansari was sworn in as India's 14th Vice President for a second five-year term on Saturday, four days after he won the vice presidential polls defeating his main challenger and former Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh by a huge margin.

The 75-year-old former diplomat was administered the oath of office by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony in Parliament, which was attended by Prime Minister Mamohan Singh and ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi among others.

Ansari, supported by the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance, won the vice presidential polls Tuesday by securing nearly 500 of the 723 valid votes cast by the electorate comprising Members of Parliament.

His main rival Singh was the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance's candidate.

Ansari became the country's second Vice President to win a second consecutive term.