Late Monday night, Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned, citing "health reasons." This was a shocking political occurrence that sent shockwaves through Parliament's halls. But his departure on the first day of the Monsoon Session has provoked a lot of political commentary and conjecture, particularly from the opposition, which thinks there might be more to the move than first appears.
The declaration was made a few hours after Dhankhar was spotted leading the Rajya Sabha and seemed healthy and composed. The suddenness and timing of his departure were immediately questioned by opposition leaders and members of Congress.
Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"The sudden resignation of the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is inexplicable… There is far more to this than meets the eye."
He also revealed that Dhankhar had a Business Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon and was set to announce "major developments" concerning the judiciary.
Calling it a “constitutional surprise,” Congress MP Imran Masood wondered aloud what could have changed within an hour to prompt the resignation. Senior party leader P. Chidambaram and MP Kapil Sibal maintained a measured tone, wishing Dhankhar well but refraining from speculating.
“Two and two don’t always make four in politics,” remarked Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat, pointing subtly at possible political maneuvering ahead of the Bihar elections.
Just a day before the resignation, Dhankhar had fixed key parliamentary meetings, hinting at no signs of health-related slowdown. Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan, CPI(M)’s John Brittas, and RJD’s Sudhakar Singh all echoed disbelief, having seen the vice president chair sessions earlier in the day without any apparent discomfort.
“Today, it didn’t seem like there was a health issue,” said Khan, while Brittas found the news "deeply disturbing."
Other parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and CPI, questioned the rationale behind the timing. Shiv Sena’s Anand Dubey asked why Dhankhar couldn’t have delayed or advanced his resignation outside the crucial Monsoon Session.
“This came without discussion, without preparation,” Dubey stated. “Is this a health issue or a political issue?”
This is not the first time Dhankhar has been at the centre of political controversy. The Opposition has often clashed with him over his perceived bias in the Rajya Sabha. In December last year, a coalition of Opposition parties even submitted a no-confidence motion—an unprecedented move against a sitting Vice President.
They accused Dhankhar of being a “partisan Chair,” acting as a “spokesperson” for government policies, and of consistently undermining Opposition MPs during sessions. His public criticisms of opposition voices further strained relations within the House.
A major gap between Dhankhar and the opposition benches was brought to light by the no-confidence motion, even though it was unable to gather procedural momentum. These tensions have now been rekindled by Monday's resignation, as many leaders believe that internal conflict or calculated political moves may be taking place behind the scenes.
Though the official reason remains health-related, the cloud of political intrigue refuses to lift. Whether this is truly a personal decision or a calculated political move, only time—and perhaps Tuesday’s developments in Parliament—will tell.
