Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has resigned from his post, stating that the decision was made in order to focus on his health and follow medical advice.
He is India's sixth Vice President to resign after VV Giri, R Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, KR Narayanan and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. While the first four stepped down ahead of becoming the President, Shekhawat resigned after losing the presidential election.
Dhankhar will also go down in history as the only vice president against whom the opposition brought a notice of removal for "partisan" conduct as the chairman of the Upper House.
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027.
In his resignation letter, Dhankhar said his departure was necessary to "prioritise health care" amid ongoing health concerns.
In the letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar wrote, “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.”
In his note, Dhankhar expressed his heartfelt appreciation to President Murmu for her “unwavering support” and the “soothing wonderful working relationship” during his tenure.
He also conveyed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers, noting that the Prime Minister’s “cooperation and support have been invaluable.”
Reflecting on his time in office, he shared, “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.” Dhankhar described his tenure as a privilege, witnessing India’s “remarkable economic progress and unprecedented exponential development” during a transformative period.
“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.
The 74-year-old leader had said this month only at an event that he would retire at the "right time", subject to "divine interventions".
While he was admitted to AIIMS for a few days in March this year and appeared not so well at a few occasions, he has been mostly seen as lively and energetic in his public appearances, including in Parliament.
Dhankhar's abrupt resignation nearly two years before his tenure was to end followed a day of surprising developments 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 it in the House.
