3 Theories behind VP Jagdeep Dhankhar's Shock Exit
With no official statement from either the Vice President's office or government, the development has led to a flurry of speculation in political circles.
President Droupadi Murmu accepted Dhankhar's resignation, and the President' Office has forwarded the same to the Home Ministry for official notification.
Dhankhar took over as 14th Vice President of India in August 2022 and was expected to serve a five-year term till August 2027. His resignation, which also means stepping down as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, came on the opening day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
Even the harshest of his critics in the opposition, with whom Dhankhar had frequent run-ins during his tenure and even moved to impeach him, said there was more to it than it met the eye.
With no official statement from either the Vice President's office or government, the development has led to a flurry of speculation in political circles. There was also radio silence from BJP ministers, with no congratulatory messages for the leader, dubbed "Kisan putra" and "inspiring" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. It was only after 15 hours that PM Modi tweeted.
It is true that Dhankhar was treated for cardiac problems earlier this year, but his hush-hush resignation after an eventful first day of the Parliament monsoon session has sent rumour mills into overdrive.
Make way for Nitish: that is floating around is of Dhankhar making way for Nitish Kumar to be the next Vice President ahead of the Bihar elections. With the BJP eyeing a larger share of the Bihar seat pie this time, making Nitish the Vice President could be a strategy to keep him in good spirits. On Tuesday, BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur added grist to the rumour mill. "It will be very good for Bihar is Nitish Kumar is made the Vice President," Thakur told reporters.
Clash with the Centre: As has been reported widely is the chain of events on the first day of the Monsoon session. On Monday, Dhankhar announced that he received a notice signed by 68 opposition MPs seeking the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose house a large cash stash was recovered, and that he was admitting the same. The Vice President's supposed haste in acting on the opposition's notice, at a time when the government was moving a motion sponsored by it in the Lok Sabha, left a bad taste, denying the NDA bragging rights.
Dhankhar’s move did not sit well with the government. According to sources, the Centre dialled the Vice President and flagged this. The Vice President responded with sharp remarks, and the conversation soon turned into an argument. In the heat of the argument, the Vice President, sources have said, even cited the powers of his office. Following the acrimonious phone call, rumblings began of a move to bring a no-confidence motion against Dhankhar. Being a veteran politician, Dhankhar got wind of this and opted to step down instead of being shown the door.
What lent an inch of credibility to the government's displeasure was JP Nadda, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, and Kiren Rijiju, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, skipping a meeting called by Dhankhar later in the day. The meeting was a crucial one of the Rajya Sabha's Business Advisory Committee (BAC). It recommends the allocation of time for debates and legislative business.
The Congress pointed to a remark by Nadda earlier in the day that it called an "insult" to the Vice President. "Nothing will go on record; only what I say will go on record," Nadda was heard saying while pointing towards Dhankhar amid opposition uproar in the Rajya Sabha over Operation Sindoor. Nadda, however, said his remarks were directed at the opposition MPs.
Remarks on Judiciary: Dhankhar's my way or highway approach, especially regarding his sharp remarks on the judiciary, irked some in the government. Ever since he became the Vice President in 2022, Dhankhar has not minced words while criticising "judicial overreach" and also condemned the Supreme Court for scrapping the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act. The remarks were viewed as those reflecting the stand of the government, making it open to receiving brickbats.
These theories stem from political speculation and media reports. Despite this, Dhankhar's resignation may simply be due to his ill health. But, as Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said, "In politics, not everything is straight."
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