Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Resigns, Cites Health Reasons
New Delhi:
Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, has stepped down from his position citing health concerns. In a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, the 74-year-old leader stated that he was resigning with immediate effect in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution, following medical advice to focus on his health.
His resignation came late in the evening, shortly after a full day of official duties in the Rajya Sabha, where he administered the oath of office to five new members. In his letter, Dhankhar expressed gratitude to the President for her steadfast support and a “wonderful working relationship” during his tenure.
He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers, acknowledging the Prime Minister’s cooperation and support, and noting that he had learned significantly while in office.
Dhankhar, who assumed office in 2022 after defeating Opposition candidate Margaret Alva, still had two years remaining in his term. In recent months, concerns over his health had grown. He was admitted to AIIMS in March for cardiac-related issues and fainted last month during an event at Kumaon University.
With his resignation, Dhankhar becomes the third Vice President in Indian history to resign before completing a full term. The others were VV Giri, who stepped down in 1969 to run for President following Zakir Husain’s death, and R Venkataraman, who resigned in 1987 after being elected President.
A former advocate and Governor of West Bengal, Dhankhar often made headlines for his vocal criticism of the Mamata Banerjee government, frequently clashing with the state administration during his tenure there.
Upon his nomination in 2022, Prime Minister Modi had described Dhankhar as a “Kisan Putra” (farmer’s son) with deep constitutional knowledge and legislative experience, predicting that his term would be “excellent and inspiring.”
With his resignation, a Vice Presidential election will need to be held within six months. A statement from the Vice President’s Secretariat clarified that in case of a vacancy due to resignation or other reasons, the election must be held as soon as possible, and the newly elected Vice President will serve a full five-year term from the date they assume office.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
