Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar tenders resignation to President citing medical grounds. In his letter to the President Droupadi Murmu, he stated, "To prioritise health care, abide by medical advice, I resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately."
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till August 2027. The resignation of Dhankhar, also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
In his resignation letter, Dhankhar thanked President Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the council of ministers and all MPs for extending support to him during his tenure.
"I extend my deepest gratitude to Your Excellency the Hon'ble President of India for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure.
"I express my deep gratitude to the Hon'ble Prime Minister and the esteemed Council of Ministers. Prime Minister's cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office," he said in his letter to the President.
"The warmth, trust, and affection I have received from all the Hon'ble Members of Parliament would ever be cherished at and embedded in my memory," he said.
Dhankhar also said that he is deeply thankful for the invaluable experiences and insights he has gained as Vice President in India's democracy.
"It has been a privilege and satisfaction to witness and partake in India's remarkable economic progress and unprecedented exponential development during this significant period. Serving in this transformative era of our nation's history has been a true honour.
"As I leave this esteemed office, I am filled with pride in Bharat's global rise and phenomenal achievements and hold unwavering confidence in her brilliant future," he said.
Dhankhar Had Not Been Keeping Well
Dhankhar had recently underwent angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi and was admitted to the hospital for a few days in March this year. He appeared not so well at a few public occasions, but has been mostly seen as lively and energetic in his most public appearances including in Parliament.
Dhankhar is the third Vice President of India after V V Giri and R Venkataraman to resign during tenure. Giri and Venkataraman had resigned from the post of Vice President to contest the presidential election.
As per rules, elections have to be held within the next six months to fill the post of Vice President. However, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman can take over the House proceedings till the time a new V-P is elected.
Jagdeep Dhankhar's Political Career
In his eventful tenure as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar has had several run-ins with the Opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him. The motion to remove him, the first time ever in independent India to remove a sitting Vice President, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.
Born on May 18, 1951 in Kithana village in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, he claimed to be the son of the farmer who rose to the second highest constitutional position in the country.
He also earlier served as a Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in the Chandra Shekhar ministry from 1990 to 1991, and served as a member of Lok Sabha representing Jhunjhunu constituency in Rajasthan from 1989 to 1991.
Between 1993 and 1998, he was a member of Rajasthan's Legislative Assembly. He has been affiliated with the BJP, the Congress and the Janata Dal.
Many have often referred to him as "reluctant politician", his re-emergence in the political scene in 2019 as West Bengal Governor surprised many, which he served till 2022.
Dhankhar was the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's candidate in the election for Vice President, who is the ex-officio Chair of the Rajya Sabha, in 2022.
As the Vice President, he took on the Judiciary over the issue of separation of powers and had face-offs with the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha virtually every day.
Dhankhar had recently said at an event earlier this month that he would retire at the "right time", subject to "divine interventions".
"I will retire at the right time, August 2027, subject to divine intervention," he had said in a lighter vein.
Reactions
Dhankhar's abrupt resignation follows a day of surprising development in the Rajya Sabha for the government, as an Opposition-sponsored notice for a motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma was submitted to him and he mentioned the same in the House and asked the secretary general to take further necessary steps.
The development came as a jolt to the ruling alliance, which had sponsored a similar notice in the Lok Sabha and taken the Opposition on board.
Meanwhile, the Congress expressed surprise at the sudden resignation of Dhankhar saying it is "totally unexpected" and there is far more to it than meets the eye.
"The sudden resignation of the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is inexplicable," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
Ramesh said that Dhankhar had fixed a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee on Tuesday at 1 pm. He was also to make some major announcements related to the judiciary, the Congress leader said.
