Jagdeep Dhankhar Resigns: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar tendered his resignation on July 21, citing health concerns and the need to prioritise personal well-being. The resignation, submitted to President Droupadi Murmu under Article 67(a) of the Constitution, takes immediate effect. Dhankhar expressed gratitude to the President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members of the Council of Ministers, and Parliamentarians for their support during his tenure.
Dhankhar, the 14th Vice President of India from August 11, 2022, became only the third Vice President in history to resign mid-term, after V V Giri and R Venkataraman. He also serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and enjoys a reputation for assertive leadership and calls for legislative-executive balance.
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Political rise and legal roots
Born on May 18, 1951, in Kithana, Rajasthan, Jagdeep Dhankhar pursued his education in physics and law at the University of Rajasthan. A Sainik School alumnus, he began his legal career in 1979 and was designated as a Senior Advocate the same year. His foray into politics began in 1989 when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jhunjhunu on a Janata Dal ticket and later served as Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs (1990–91).
He joined the Indian National Congress in 1991 and went on to serve as an MLA in Rajasthan from Kishangarh (1993–1998). After a return to legal practice, Dhankhar transitioned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2003 and became a key figure in the party’s legal affairs wing, eventually being appointed its national convenor in 2016.
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Governor of West Bengal and national prominence
Dhankhar’s political visibility surged when he was appointed Governor of West Bengal in July 2019. His tenure was marked by frequent confrontations with the Trinamool Congress-led state government, earning him a reputation as a combative constitutional figure.
Vice Presidency and Parliamentary reforms
NDA’s vice-presidential candidate Dhankhar was nominated in July 2022 and won by a large margin—528 of 710 valid votes (74.4 per cent). Dhankhar, as Vice-President, presided over various reforms in Parliament, including those related to an increase in women’s representation and the historic inauguration of the new Parliament building in 2023.
He also made headlines by criticising judicial overreach, particularly the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act. In a public forum attended by then Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Dhankhar posed a question: How could the judiciary strike down a law that was legislated with almost full unanimity in both Houses of Parliament?
He became the only Vice President in Indian history against whom a notice of removal was brought for “partisan conduct” as Rajya Sabha Chairman—a motion that ultimately did not pass but stirred significant political debate.
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legacy and road ahead
Jagdeep Dhankhar leaves behind a legacy shaped by constitutional advocacy, legal sharpness, and strong views on the separation of powers. His resignation now sets the stage for an early Vice Presidential election, as mandated by Article 67.
No successor has been named yet. For now, the resignation marks the end of an era for a man who climbed from the rural heartland of Rajasthan to one of the highest offices in the Republic—carrying with him decades of legal acumen, political resilience, and institutional influence.
