Even as Congress continues to question the abrupt resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, the party has called for a farewell function in his honour — a request that has so far been met with silence from the Union government.
The demand comes amid growing political buzz around Dhankhar’s exit, which has been attributed to health reasons. However, Opposition leaders have continued to press of clarity from the government.
Sources said that the demand was raised by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh at the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) on Wednesday evening. However, the government stayed silent, with Union ministers JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju not responding to the demand.
No other opposition leader supported Ramesh on the demand, they said.
The Congress has been demanding a "dignified farewell" for Dhankhar, who remained in office for three years. The opposition party has also been questioning the government on Dhankhar's sudden resignation.
The Congress has also been alleging that Dhankhar was "forced" to resign after he accepted a notice signed by Opposition MPs to remove Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose residence charred wads of currency notes were recovered a few months ago.
The demand was raised at a time when Rajya Sabha is bidding farewell to six of its members on Thursday. Ambumani Ramadoss, Vaiko, P Wilson, M Shanmugam, M Mohammed Abdulla and N Chandrasegharan are being accorded farewell.
In a surprise move, Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down as the vice president on Monday, citing health reasons. His term was to end on August 10, 2027.
Various theories have emerged regarding the reasons behind Dhankhar’s resignation, with many citing alleged differences between him and the government over the proposed motion to remove two justices.
While the exact reasons for Dhankhar’s decision remain unclear, several names are already doing the rounds as potential candidates for the vice presidential election.
Speaking to TNIE, Several NDA MPs, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the ruling alliance is leaning toward a nominee from the backward communities.
Among the names doing the rounds, Ram Nath Thakur — currently Minister of State for Agriculture and son of former Bihar chief minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Karpoori Thakur — is being seen as a frontrunner.
Before his surprise resignation, Dhankhar made an "unscheduled visit" to the Rashtrapati Bhavan late on Monday evening, official sources said.
Dhankhar met President Murmu around 9 pm on Monday and handed over his resignation to her. Half an hour later, he made his resignation letter public on X, they said.
"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," Dhankhar said in his letter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, saying, "Jagdeep Dhankhar has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health."
Several other Opposition leaders also expressed surprise and scepticism over the abrupt move, with some suggesting there may be more to the decision than meets the eye.
