The abrupt resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar midway into his tenure citing health concerns shows the BJP’s struggles in digesting some lateral entrants into the party who are subsequently assigned high constitutional positions.
From Satypal Malik to Yashwant Sinha, quite a few imports ended up as outliers as the system failed to assimilate them. On the flip side, those like Himanta Biswa Sarma became indispensable as they contributed handsomely for the party’s growth even beyond their geography.
As for Dhankhar, he established his worth for the BJP as West Bengal governor, hitting the headlines frequently as a oneman army with a bazooka against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and was rewarded with the VP’s post. Nemesis sprang out of nowhere three years later, shoving him out without the dignity of even a farewell speech.
Dhankhar accepting an opposition notice for impeaching Justice Yashwant Varma over alleged corruption, at a time when the government was trying to make it a bipartisan exercise, appeared to be the last straw on the camel’s back, as he had crossed the NDA red line far too often.
The VP’s exit drew sympathetic noises from the opposition, who ironically were gunning for his scalp just a few weeks ago. Since Dhankhar is the only VP to have departed under such circumstances—the others had left to become president—it threw up questions on the constitutional grey area on electing his successor.
While the Constitution does not specify a timeline, it mandates that the vacancy be filled as soon as possible, and gives the person a full term of five years. The resignation did not create a constitutional void as the institution of the Rajya Sabha deputy chair is in place; it’s a moment to remember that the position of the Lok Sabha deputy speaker is still vacant.
Far too often, Dhankhar had taken confrontational positions with the judiciary on questions like ‘one nation, one election’, the power of judicial review, parliament’s supremacy, and timelines for legislative assent—at times making the executive squirm.
Both gubernatorial and vice presidential posts are titular positions that require politically neutral individuals in office. Unfortunately, they are anything but. The vice president has a larger role as the Rajya Sabha chairperson, discharging an important democratic and constitutional function. Here’s hoping Dhankhar’s replacement will uphold the dignity of his high constitutional office.