Jagdeep Dhankhar became the third Vice President to not complete his term

New Delhi. India’s Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has resigned from his post with immediate effect under Article 67 (a) of the Constitution, citing health reasons. With this decision, he has become the third Vice President of the country to leave the post without completing the term. So far in history, this has happened only twice. For the first time, in 1997 during the tenure of Vice President Krishna Kant. He took oath as Vice President on August 21, 1997 and died on July 27, 2002 during his tenure.

For the second time, in 1974, Vice President B.D. Jatti resigned before the end of his term, but he came into the role of interim President. Earlier, Varahagiri Venkat Giri also resigned from the post of Vice President for the election of the President of India. This decision of Giri was in discussions at that time. Jagdeep Dhankhar was sworn in as the 14th Vice President of India on August 11, 2022 and he resigned after being in this post for about three years.

His resignation has suddenly created a stir in political circles. He wrote in his resignation that it has now become imperative to give priority to health and follow medical advice. Also, he expressed gratitude for the affection and support received from the Prime Minister, President and MPs. Now all eyes are on who will be the next Vice President, and whether the ruling coalition will announce any name ahead of time. Opposition parties are not considering Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation as normal.

Congress called Dhankhar’s resignation shocking
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X, ‘The sudden resignation of the Vice President and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is unimaginable. I was with him along with several other MPs till around 5 pm today and also spoke to him on the phone at 7:30 pm. There is no doubt that Jagdeep Dhankhar should give top priority to his health. But there is more hidden behind his unexpected resignation than what is visible. However, this is not the time for speculation.’

He further wrote, ‘Dhankhar took on both the government and the opposition alike. He had scheduled a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee at 1 pm tomorrow. He also had to make some big announcements related to the judiciary tomorrow. We wish him good health, and also request him to reconsider his decision. We also expect the Prime Minister to inspire Jagdeep Dhankhar to change his decision. This will be in the national interest. This will provide great relief especially to the farming community.’