Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns, citing health reasons

New Delhi: In a sudden move, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday evening resigned from his post citing medical reasons.

He has sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he was stepping down with immediate effect.

"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 Constituton," Dhankhar said in his letter to the President.

Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027. He is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation 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.

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.

Dhankhar is the second Vice President to resign while in office, after V V Giri resigned from his post on July 20, 1969 to contest the presidential elections as an independent candidate.

Dhankhar's 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 it in the House.

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.

He 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.

In his resignation letter, Dhankhar thanked President Droupadi 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.

Born on May 18, 1951 in Kithana village in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, he claimed to be the son of the farmer who rose to the second highest constitutional position in the country.