Seventy-four-year-old Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s decision to quit late at night on the first day of Parliament’s Monsoon session has shocked one and all. Less than a month ago, Dhankar said that he would retire at the “right time, subject to divine interventions”. I pray for his good health and wish him a speedy recovery. Dhankar had a meeting with Opposition leaders late evening on July 21 and did not appear to look unwell after presiding over the House. There are speculations over the cause of his resignation, even though Dhankar has said that he was “prioritising his health”. This is not the first time that a vice president has tendered his resignation. V V Giri resigned to take over as Acting President after President Zakir Hussain died in office in May 1969. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat put in his papers after being defeated in the presidential election by Pratibha Patil. R Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma and K R Narayanan also resigned after getting elected as President.

Dhankhar, a lawyer by profession, was picked up by the Modi government in 2022 for the constitutional post after he had served as the West Bengal governor. His tenure as governor was quite controversial due to a strained relationship with Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee. Like the current Tamil Nadu Governor, he blocked several bills. However, Mamta Banerjee’s TMC did not oppose his candidature outright; instead, the party abstained in the election of the 14th Vice President of India. Dhankhar........

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