On the very first day of the monsoon session of Parliament, on Monday evening, the country’s Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post citing medical reasons, raising speculation in political circles. In his resignation sent to President Draupadi Murmu, Dhankhar said that he is leaving the post with immediate effect for “preferring health care”.
He said in a letter to the President, “According to Article 67 (A) of the Constitution, I resign from the post of Vice President of India with immediate effect,” he said in a letter to the President.
74 -year -old Dhankar took over in August 2022 and his term was till August 2027. The resignation of Rajya Sabha Chairman Dhankhar came on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.
Recently he had an angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi and was admitted to the hospital for a few days in March this year. His condition did not look right in some programs, but in most public events, including Parliament, he looked vibrant and energetic.
In his incidentful tenure as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar had a several confrontation with the opposition, which also proposed to impeach them. The proposal to remove them, which was the first case of removing a current Vice President in independent India, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.
After VV Giri and R Venkataraman, he is the third Vice President of India to resign during his tenure. Giri and Venkataraman resigned as Vice President to contest the presidential election.
There was no official statement from any of the government or the ruling BJP about why Dhankhar resigned or who could be his successor. According to the rules, “as soon as possible” elections should be held for the post of Vice President. However, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha can handle the House’s proceedings until the new Vice President is elected.
Dhankhar was the BJP -led National Democratic Alliance candidate in the election for the post of Vice President in 2022, who is the ex -officio president of the Rajya Sabha. His resignation intensified speculation and the Congress expressed surprise that it is “completely unpredictable” and “is more than what is seen in it.”
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X, “The sudden resignation of the Vice President and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as surprising, the more it is beyond comprehension.”
Ramesh told that Dhankar had decided the meeting of the work advisory committee at 1 pm on Tuesday afternoon. The Congress leader said that he had to make some major announcements related to the judiciary. He hoped that the Prime Minister would urge him to change his mind as it would be in the national interest.
Dhankhar is also expected to hold talks with the newly elected committee of CREDAI Rajasthan in Jaipur on 23 July.
His sudden resignation came after a surprising development in the Rajya Sabha for the government, as he was assigned a notice of opposition -sponsored resolution to remove Justice Yashwant Verma and mentioned it in the House and asked the General Secretary to take necessary steps further.
This development is a shock for the ruling coalition, which sponsored a similar notice in the Lok Sabha and also included the opposition.
In his resignation, Dhankar thanked President Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all MPs for supporting during their tenure. In this he wrote, “I express my deepest gratitude for his unwavering support to the Honorable President of India and a pleasant and amazing work relationship between us during my tenure.”
He said in a letter to the President, “I express my deepest gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister and the respected Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister’s cooperation and support has been invaluable and I have learned a lot from him during my tenure.”
He said, “The warmth, belief and affection I have received from all the Honorable Parliament members will always be in my memory.”
Dhankhar also said that he is very grateful for the invaluable experiences and insights gained as Vice President in India’s democracy.
It said, “It is a matter of good fortune and satisfaction to see and participate in India’s remarkable economic progress and unprecedented incomplete development during this important period. It is a true honor to serve in this transformative era of our nation’s history.”
He said, “Except for this prestigious post, I am proud of India’s global uplift and unprecedented achievements and have unwavering faith in its bright future.”
Describing Dhankhar as a patriot, former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said that his resignation should be accepted and moved forward.
CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar said that this development is quite unexpected and “We don’t know what are the reasons for this.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said that it is a surprise to resign on the day of the onset of monsoon session.
Born on 18 May 1951 in Kithana village of Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, Dhankhar claimed that he was the son of a farmer and reached the second largest constitutional post in the country.
At one time he was considered a “untouchable politician”, but in 2019, his emergence in the political scenario as the Governor of West Bengal surprised many people, just as he emerged as the Vice President.
As the Vice President, he lashed out at the judiciary on the issue of separation of powers and he face to face almost every day with the opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Dhankhar had said at a program earlier this month that he would retire at “right time”, provided “divine intervention”. He jokingly said, “I will retire at the right time, in August 2027, subject to divine intervention.”
Prior to his current post, he served as the Governor of West Bengal from 2019 to 2022. He also served as Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs from 1990 to 1991, and also served as a member of the Lok Sabha representing Jhunjhunu constituency in Rajasthan from 1989 to 1991.
From 1993 to 1998, he was a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. He has been associated with BJP, Congress and Janata Dal.
