New Delhi | In a sudden move, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday evening resigned from his post citing medical reasons.
He has sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he was stepping down with immediate effect.
"To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constituton," Dhankhar said in his letter to the President.
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027. He is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
He had recently underwent angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.
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.
He 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.
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 it in the House.
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.
He 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.
In his resignation letter, Dhankhar thanked President Droupadi 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.
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.
New Delhi | Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's abrupt resignation on Monday evening has opened the contest for his successor.
With the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoying a majority in the electorate, which includes the members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, it was taken by surprise by Dhankhar's decision to quit. It is likely to consider the probable names in the coming days.
One of the governors, as Dhankhar was of West Bengal before taking the vice president's office, or a seasoned organisational leader or one of the Union ministers -- the BJP has a large pool of leaders to choose from for the position.
Dhankhar's predecessor was M Venkaiah Naidu, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president who was in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was tapped by the party for the key constitutional position in 2017.
"We are still processing it. But I believe the party will choose someone who is a solid choice and is non-controversial," a BJP leader said, suggesting that a veteran party hand might be the preferred option.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, a Janata Dal (United) MP, is also being seen as a probable as he has been serving in the position since 2020 and enjoys the government's trust.
Dhankhar's three-year tenure was marked by his frequent run-ins with opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha but his voluble commentary, often on contentious issues, left the government less than amused at times.
In a sudden move, Dhankhar resigned from his post on Monday evening, citing medical reasons.
He has sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he is stepping down with immediate effect.
"To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution," Dhankhar said in his letter to the president.
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027.
He was also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
Dhankhar's abrupt resignation followed a day of surprising developments in the Rajya Sabha for the government, as an opposition-sponsored notice for a motion to remove Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma was submitted to him and he mentioned it in the House.
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.
Dhankhar was the NDA's candidate in the election for the vice president, who is also the ex-officio Chair of the Rajya Sabha, in 2022.
New Delhi | The Congress on Monday expressed surprise at the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep 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. I was with him alongside a number of other MPs till around 5 pm today and had spoken to him over the phone at 7:30 pm," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.
"No doubt Mr Dhankar has to give topmost priority to his health. But clearly there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye. This is not the time for speculation though. Mr Dhankar took both the government and the opposition to task in equal measure. He had fixed a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee tomorrow at 1 PM. He was also to make some major announcements related to the judiciary tomorrow," Ramesh said in a post on X.
In a sudden move, Vice President Dhankhar on Monday evening resigned from his post, citing medical reasons. In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu he said he was stepping down with immediate effect.
"We wish him the best of health but also request him to reconsider his decision. We also expect the prime minister to get Mr Dhankar to change his mind. This will be in the nation's interest. The farming community particularly will be greatly relieved," Ramesh also said.
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027. He is also the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
