VP Dhankhar’s Surprise Exit Sparks Succession Race

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar abruptly resigned on Monday, citing health, surprising the ruling NDA.
• His resignation came just 10 days after a public remark about completing his term “subject to divine intervention.”
• The NDA, holding a majority in the electoral college, will now consider candidates from its pool of governors, organizational leaders, or Union ministers.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 22nd July: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation on Monday evening has caught the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) by surprise, immediately opening the contest for his successor. Dhankhar, who cited “medical advice” and the need to “prioritise health care,” stepped down effective immediately, less than two years into his term that was slated to end in August 2027.

The unexpected move comes just ten days after Dhankhar, speaking at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on July 10, had quipped, “I will retire at the right time, August 2027, subject to divine intervention.” His abrupt departure now lends an uncanny prescience to his lighthearted remark.

In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, shared on X, Dhankhar invoked Article 67(a) of the Constitution and expressed gratitude for the support from the President, Prime Minister, and Council of Ministers, as well as the warmth from Parliament members.

The NDA, commanding a majority in the electoral college comprising members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, is now set to deliberate on probable names for the Vice President’s position. The BJP has a deep bench of leaders to choose from, including current governors (like Dhankhar himself was of West Bengal before taking office), seasoned organizational leaders, or even Union ministers. M. Venkaiah Naidu, Dhankhar’s predecessor, was a former BJP president and Union Minister before being chosen for the post in 2017.

A BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the party would likely seek “someone who is a solid choice and is non-controversial,” suggesting a veteran party hand might be preferred. Among the names already being floated is Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, a Janata Dal (United) MP, who has garnered the government’s trust through his service since 2020.

Dhankhar’s nearly three-year tenure as Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha was notably marked by frequent run-ins with Opposition parties. While he was known for his voluble commentary, often on contentious issues and his firm stance on parliamentary decorum and judicial overreach, some of his remarks, particularly on the separation of powers and criticism of the judiciary, occasionally left the government less than amused.

His resignation on the very first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament followed a surprising development for the government in the Rajya Sabha: Dhankhar had mentioned in the House the receipt of an Opposition-sponsored notice for a motion to remove Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma. This development was reportedly a “jolt” to the ruling alliance, which had initiated a similar notice in the Lok Sabha with Opposition cooperation.

As the former NDA candidate for the Vice Presidential election in 2022, Dhankhar’s sudden exit now sets the stage for a critical new selection process in India’s political landscape.