Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Resigns Citing Health Reasons
Jagdeep Dhankhar, 74, was elected as the vice president in August 2022. He has resigned two years ahead of the conclusion of his tenure.
Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his position on Monday, citing health reasons.
"To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution," he said in the resignation letter.
Dhankhar expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his cooperation and support have been "invaluable for him".
Dhankhar, 74, was elected as the vice president in August 2022. He has resigned two years ahead of his tenure was set to conclude.
As the vice president, he was also the chair of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament.
In December last year, the Opposition had tried to move an impeachment motion against Dhankhar. The motion, however, was rejected by the House's deputy chairman on the grounds that it was aimed to "mar" the reputation of the vice president.
In his resignation letter, Dhankhar thanked the Members of Parliament and the Union Council of Ministers. "I am deeply thankful for the invaluable experiences and insights I have gained as Vice President in our great democracy," he added.
"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 honor," Dhankhar added.
"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 further said.
Decades-Long Political Journey
Dhankhar, a career politician, has been involved in public life for nearly five decades. He made his mark in electoral politics in 1989, when he was elected as a Lok Sabha MP from the state's Jhunjhuna constituency in 1989, on the Janata Dal ticket. He had also served as the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in 1990.
Dhankhar switched to the Congress in 1991, and went on to serve as an MLA from Rajasthan's Kishangarh assembly seat from 1993 to 1998.
Dhankhar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2003, and remained a key organisational leader for the saffron party. In 2019, he was appointed as the Governor of West Bengal — a three-year stint that was marked by his frequent face-offs with the Mamata Banerjee-led state government.
Notably, Dhankhar was born in Rajasthan's Kithana in 1951. He was a lawyer by profession, before entering into mainstream politics.
