Jagdeep Dhankhar’s Sudden Resignation Shakes Political Landscape
Jagdeep Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation as Vice President due to health concerns has stirred mixed responses from government and opposition factions. His approval of an opposition motion against Justice Yashwant Varma led to a no-confidence threat from the NDA, resulting in his quick exit. The political sphere is now abuzz with discussions on his successor, as Dhankhar finds himself on the periphery after the contentious move.
Political Fallout in New Delhi
Shortly after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s surprising decision to step down from the vice president position citing health issues, the political domain in New Delhi seems to have resumed its usual operations. While the government and opposition engage in exchanges over various matters, including disruption in parliamentary activities, the absence of the former Rajya Sabha chairman has not been deeply felt.
The government’s dissatisfaction with his support for opposition-backed proposals against Justice Yashwant Varma has transitioned into a focus on determining his successor as Vice President. While the opposition exploits the dramatic incident to challenge the government, there is little mourning over Dhankhar’s abrupt departure, leaving him politically stranded.
During an informal gathering of the INDIA bloc parties, Rahul Gandhi and other attendees reportedly confronted Dhankhar, accusing him of being biased during his three-year tenure. As they protest against electoral roll revisions in Bihar, Dhankhar’s resignation appears to have taken a backseat during Parliament’s monsoon session, with only a few sympathetic opposition members.
NDA’s Response and Dhankhar’s Departure
Though PM Narendra Modi briefly commented on Dhankhar’s resignation, the NDA parties have largely maintained silence regarding his imminent departure from the Vice President’s Enclave. While government officials consider relocating Dhankhar to a Type-VIII bungalow, events leading up to his resignation indicate that he had no option but to resign as BJP and allies planned a vote of no confidence against him after he accepted the opposition’s notice against Justice Varma signed by 63 MPs.
Allegedly, Dhankhar’s acceptance of the opposition’s notice upset top members of the governing alliance, who swiftly gathered MPs’ signatures to initiate a no-confidence vote in the Rajya Sabha the following day. Facing pressure from the RS secretariat, Dhankhar chose to resign and made it public, leaving the government officials trying to reach him exasperated.
The notice against Justice Varma was presented to Speaker Om Birla by a group led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, after learning of Dhankhar’s communications with opposition MPs, seeking their support in the matter.
