Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Steps Down Citing Health Issues as Monsoon Session Begins

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Resigns Citing Health, Steps Down Mid-Term.

In an unexpected announcement, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on Monday, citing health concerns, just after chairing the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The 74-year-old, who took office in 2022, said he was stepping down to “prioritise healthcare” on medical advice.

“In accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately,” Dhankhar wrote in a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu. The letter was released by the Vice President’s Office.

Following his resignation, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh will assume daily responsibilities until a new Vice President is elected. In his farewell message, Dhankhar expressed gratitude to both the President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He described his working relationship with President Murmu as “soothing and wonderful” and called the Prime Minister’s support “invaluable.”

Dhankhar had been facing health issues for months. In March, he was admitted to AIIMS after experiencing chest pain, and in June, he fainted while attending a public event in Nainital.

Despite his condition, Dhankhar remained active until his last day in office. On Monday, while chairing the Rajya Sabha, he acknowledged a motion signed by over 50 members seeking the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma. He ordered the Secretariat to verify whether a similar motion had been introduced in the Lok Sabha and noted that one of the 55 signatures appeared duplicated, ordering an inquiry.

A vocal critic of judicial overreach, Dhankhar had recently condemned the Supreme Court for setting deadlines for the President and Governors to assent to state bills, arguing that such directions undermined parliamentary supremacy.

With this resignation, Dhankhar becomes the seventh Vice President to leave office before completing a full five-year term. He still had nearly two years left. Prior to his elevation as Vice President, he served as the Governor of West Bengal, where he frequently clashed with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Notably, the Trinamool Congress abstained from voting in the 2022 Vice Presidential election, citing lack of consultation over the opposition’s choice of Margaret Alva.