Serving as Vice President since 2022, the 74-year-old made the surprise announcement after chairing the first day of the Monsoon Session in Rajya Sabha. Under Article 67 of the Constitution, the Deputy Chairman will manage the day-to-day affairs until a new Vice-President is elected.
In a surprise announcement, Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as the Vice President of India on Monday, “to prioritise healthcare”. Having served in the role since 2022, the 74-year-old made the announcement after chairing the first day of the Monsoon Session as Rajya Sabha Chairman.
“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,” Dhankhar said in a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu. The letter was released by the Vice President’s Office.
Under Article 67 of the Constitution, which deals with the term of office of the Vice President, the Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh will manage the day-to-day affairs until a new Vice-President is elected. On the other hand, Article 67(a) says that before the expiry of his term, the Vice-President may resign by submitting his resignation to the President in writing.
Thanking President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhankhar wrote, “I extend my deepest gratitude to your excellency – the Hon’ble President of India for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure. I express my deep gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the esteemed Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister’s cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office.”
Earlier this year, in March, Dhankhar was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences after experiencing uneasiness and chest pain. Last month, he fainted after stepping down from the dais while attending a programme at Nainital University.
While chairing the Upper House today, Jagdeep Dhankhar said he had received a letter signed by more than 50 Rajya Sabha members requesting the constitution of a committee for the removal of Justice Varma.
Dhankhar, then, directed the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha “to find out whether a similar motion has been moved in the Lok Sabha”.
“This is being done in accordance with the procedure. If the motion is presented in both houses on different days, the motion presented first is alone taken into consideration. If it’s on the same day, provisions are different,” Dhankhar had said.
Interestingly, the outgoing Vice President, while mentioning the Justice Yashwant Varma impeachment case, said that one of the 55 signatures had been duplicated, ordering an inquiry.
In recent times, Dhankhar has been vocal in his criticism of the judiciary, asserting that “Parliament is supreme”.
The outgoing Vice President criticised the Supreme Court for setting a timeline for the President and Governor to sign bills passed by state governments, saying, “So, we have judges who will legislate, who will perform executive functions, who will act as a super Parliament and have absolutely no accountability because the law of the land does not apply to them.”
By tendering his resignation, Jagdeep Dhankhar became the seventh Vice President to not complete the full five-year term.
Dhankhar, who had two more years in office, defeated INDIA bloc nominee Margaret Alva in 2022. Before becoming the Rajya Sabha Chairman, the lawyer-turned-politician served as the Governor of West Bengal, a tenure marked by frequent run-ins with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
