In a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, the VP said, “Respected Rashtrapati ji, 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.”
Before completing his 5-year term as Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post, citing medical advice and to focus on his health, as the first day of the stormy Monsoon Parliament Session kicked off on the same day.
In a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, the VP said, “Respected Rashtrapati ji, 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.”
Born on May 18, 1951, in Kithana village, Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, Jagdeep Dhankhar rose from humble beginnings as a “Kisan Putra” (farmer’s son) to hold some of the highest constitutional offices in India. He completed his schooling at Sainik School, Chittorgarh, and graduated with a B.Sc. followed by an LLB from the University of Rajasthan.
Dhankhar began his professional career as an advocate in 1979, becoming a Senior Advocate designated by the Rajasthan High Court in 1990. He practised in the Supreme Court of India and held the position of President of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association.He entered politics in 1989 as a Lok Sabha MP from Jhunjhunu on a Janata Dal ticket. He was appointed Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in the Chandra Shekhar government (1990-1991). From 1993 to 1998, he served as an MLA from Kishangarh in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.In July 2019, Dhankhar was appointed Governor of West Bengal, where he had a turbulent relationship with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.
Jagdeep Dhankhar was named the NDA’s candidate for Vice President on July 16, 2022, and formally filed his nomination on July 18. Supported by the BJP and its allies, Dhankhar won the August 6, 2022, election by a record margin, receiving 528 votes out of 710, defeating opposition candidate Margaret Alva, who secured only 182 votes.
It was the largest winning margin in a Vice-Presidential race since 1992. Trinamool Congress had abstained from the vote.
As Vice President, Dhankhar also served as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, where he presided over key legislative debates.
