In a sudden move, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday evening resigned from his post citing medical reasons, triggering speculations in political circles.
In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar said he was stepping down with immediate effect to "prioritise health care".
"To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution," he said in the letter to the President.
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till August 2027. The resignation of Dhankhar, also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
He had recently underwent angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi and was admitted to the hospital for a few days in March this year. He appeared not so well at a few events, but has been mostly seen as lively and energetic in his most public appearances, including in Parliament.
In his eventful tenure as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar has had several run-ins with the Opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him. The motion to remove him, the first time ever in independent India to remove a sitting Vice President, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.
He is the third Vice President of India after V V Giri and R Venkataraman to resign during tenure. Giri and Venkataraman had resigned from the post of Vice President to contest the presidential election.
As per rules, elections have to be held within the next six months to fill the post of Vice President. However, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman can take over the House proceedings till the time a new VP is elected.
Dhankhar was the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's candidate in the election for Vice President, who is the ex-officio Chair of the Rajya Sabha, in 2022.
His resignation triggered speculation with the Congress expressing surprise, saying it is "totally unexpected" and there is "far more to it than meets the eye".
"The sudden resignation of the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is inexplicable," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
Ramesh said that Dhankhar had fixed a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee on Tuesday at 1 pm. He was also to make some major announcements related to the judiciary, the Congress leader said, hoping that the prime minister would urge him to change his mind as this will be in national interest.
Dhankhar was also expected to interact with the newly-elected committee of CREDAI Rajasthan in Jaipur on July 23.
His abrupt resignation follows a day of surprising development in the Rajya Sabha for the government, as an Opposition-sponsored notice for a motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma was submitted to him and he mentioned the same in the House and asked the secretary general to take further necessary steps.
The development came as a jolt to the ruling alliance, which had sponsored a similar notice in the Lok Sabha and taken the Opposition on board.
In his resignation letter, Dhankhar thanked President Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the council of ministers and all MPs for extending support to him during his tenure.
"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. Prime Minister's cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office," he said in his letter to the President.
"The warmth, trust, and affection I have received from all the Hon'ble Members of Parliament would ever be cherished at and embedded in my memory," he said.
Dhankhar also said that he is deeply thankful for the invaluable experiences and insights he has gained as Vice President in India's democracy.
"It has been a privilege and satisfaction to witness and partake in India's remarkable economic progress and unprecedented exponential development during this significant period. Serving in this transformative era of our nation's history has been a true honour.
"As I leave this esteemed office, I am filled with pride in Bharat's global rise and phenomenal achievements and hold unwavering confidence in her brilliant future," he said.
Hailing Dhankhar as a patriot, former Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said his resignation should be accepted and one should move on.
CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar said the development is something quite unexpected, and "we don't know what the reasons are".
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said his resignation on the same day of the start of the Monsoon session raises eyebrows.
Born on May 18, 1951 in Kithana village in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, Dhankhar claimed to be the son of a farmer who rose to the second highest constitutional position in the country.
Once considered a "reluctant politician", his re-emergence in the political scene in 2019 as West Bengal governor surprised many, just as his rise to the office of the Vice President.
As the Vice President, he took on the Judiciary over the issue of separation of powers and had face-offs with the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha virtually every day.
Dhankhar had said at an event earlier this month that he would retire at the "right time", subject to "divine interventions".
"I will retire at the right time, August 2027, subject to divine intervention," he had said in a lighter vein.
Prior to his current position, he served as the governor of West Bengal from 2019 to 2022. He also served as a Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in the Chandra Shekhar ministry from 1990 to 1991, and as a member of Lok Sabha representing Jhunjhunu constituency in Rajasthan from 1989 to 1991.
Between 1993 and 1998, he was a member of Rajasthan's Legislative Assembly. He has been affiliated with the BJP, the Congress and the Janata Dal.
