Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on Monday evening on grounds of poor health and said his resignation was with effect from the moment he penned it. His untimely exit has created fevered speculation in political circles.
In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar said, “To give due regard to health and to follow medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India with immediate effect, as per Article 67(a) of the Constitution.”
The 74-year-old leader, who assumed office in August 2022, was scheduled to serve until 2027. His resignation came shortly after the Monsoon session of Parliament began, where he was expected to chair crucial meetings, including a session of the Business Advisory Committee on Tuesday.
Health and Tenure Highlights
Dhankhar had received an angioplasty at AIIMS, Delhi, in March and had been briefly hospitalized. While he seemed a little frail at more recent events, he continued to be actively involved in parliamentary activities.
His tenure was accompanied by spats with the Opposition and a record bid to oust him through an impeachment motion, the first such bid in independent India against an incumbent Vice President. The motion was eventually voted down by Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh was severely critical, stating, “The resignations of the Vice President and chairman of the Rajya Sabha at short notice is as shocking as unexplainable. There is no doubt that Mr Dhankhar has to accord topmost priority to his health. But obviously there is much more to his completely unexpected resignation than appears on the surface.”
Interim Arrangements and Constitutional Provisions
Now that the Vice President’s office is vacant, the constitutional machinery for transition comes into focus. Although the Constitution does not state unambiguously who assumes the Vice President’s general functions in this case, it makes its intention clear in the case of the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. During a vacancy, the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha’s functions are allotted in an interim capacity to the deputy chairman or another member the President may nominate.
How the Future Vice President Is Elected
According to Article 66 of the Constitution, the Vice President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Voting takes place on the basis of proportional representation by the single transferable vote system.
The incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which controls a majority in Parliament, will start intra-party deliberations to decide on a new governor for the state. Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh is one of the candidates being considered, although he is a Janata Dal (United) MP and has been in the position since 2020. He is said to be highly regarded by the government.
A BJP functionary said, “We are still coming to terms with it. But I think the party will select someone who is a good pick and not controversial,” showing that consideration is already on in the works.
Not the First Mid-Term Resignation
Jagdeep Dhankhar thus joins the list of V V Giri and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as the sole Vice Presidents in independent India to have resigned short of their terms. Giri resigned in 1969 to contest the presidential election, and Shekhawat resigned in 2007 following a failed run at the presidency.
