Jagdeep Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation as Vice President, citing health reasons, has elicited subdued responses from government and opposition factions. The decision to uphold an opposition motion against Justice Yashwant Varma led to a no-confidence threat from the NDA, resulting in Dhankhar’s rapid exit. The political landscape is now abuzz with discussions about his successor, as Dhankhar appears to be in isolation following his contentious move.
New Delhi Scenario
Just shortly after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s surprising resignation from the vice presidency due to health concerns, the political realm seems to have returned to its usual pace. Amid ongoing exchanges between the government and opposition on various issues, accompanied by the typical disruptions in parliamentary activities, few seem to be mourning the departure of the verbose former Rajya Sabha chairman.
The resentment towards him from the ruling quarters for endorsing opposition-driven motions for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma has transitioned to a focus on his potential successor in the VP role. While the opposition exploits the dramatic events to challenge the government, the abrupt exit of the former VP has left him adrift in a political limbo.
During an informal meeting of Indian block parties, Rahul Gandhi and other attendees reportedly confronted Dhankhar, accusing him of causing them distress during his three-year tenure due to favoritism. As they protest against the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the former VP seems to be a low priority in the agenda for Parliament’s monsoon session, pushing the resignation saga to the bottom of their concerns, with only a few opposition members showing sympathy towards him.
Political Reactions
The NDA parties have largely maintained a ‘radio silence’ regarding Dhankhar’s imminent departure from the Vice President’s Enclave, ignoring PM Narendra Modi’s brief message on X. Government officials are exploring relocation options for Dhankhar, hinting at the circumstances leading to his resignation, influenced by the looming no-confidence motion by the BJP and its allies after his acceptance of the notice against Justice Varma signed by 63 opposition MPs.
Sources indicate that Dhankhar’s move to accept the opposition’s notice against Justice Varma, despite the government’s intent to present the motion in the Lok Sabha with signatures from all party members, irked the governing alliance, prompting them to rush for signatures in preparation for a no-confidence motion against Dhankhar in the Rajya Sabha the following day.
An ultimatum was reportedly relayed to Dhankhar by an RS secretariat official on Monday to either resign immediately or face a no-confidence motion the next day. Instead of a confrontation, Dhankhar chose to resign and publicly announce it at Rashtrapati Bhawan. His actions post-acceptance of the opposition MPs’ letter against Justice Varma led senior government officials to find him inaccessible, causing them to skip the evening Business Advisory Committee meeting.
Meanwhile, the notice from Lok Sabha MPs seeking the removal of Justice Varma was presented to Speaker Om Birla by a delegation led by senior BJP member Ravi Shankar Prasad, who hurried to address Dhankhar’s communication with the opposition MPs for a notice in the case.