There has been a lot of conjecture over who will succeed Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar since he quite shockingly resigned from the position. The events that followed the first day of the Monsoon Session has led to speculation over who will succeed him.
According to media reports, JD(U) leader and Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur’s name has been doing the rounds. However, the media has also attributed sources as saying that the reports are mere conjecture, and that Dhankhar’s successor will be from the ruling party.
Thakur’s name surfaced after he reportedly met BJP president JP Nadda. However, a section of the media played down its significance.
They noted that multiple MPs had met Nadda around the same period. Apparently, there had been no discussions between the BJP and JD(U) regarding Thakur.
It’s also held that Dhankhar’s resignation may have been intended to make a provision for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
In political circles, it’s seen as a strategic gesture to keep him aligned with the NDA during the high-stakes polls.
BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur remarked that “it will be very good for Bihar if Nitish Kumar is made the Vice President”. It further fuelled the speculation.
The BJP has never formed a government on its own in Bihar. Bringing Nitish to the Centre could create political space within the state and reaffirm NDA unity.
The day Dhankhar resigned, he did not chair the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. Deputy chairperson Harivansh Narayan Singh from the JD(U) reportedly presided over the House.
The optics of a Bihar leader at the helm of the Rajya Sabha may work in the NDA’s favour ahead of the state elections.
Behind the scenes, sources have shed light on what they claim were the real reasons for Dhankhar’s sudden departure. His resignation is said to have followed months of growing friction with the government. The tipping point reportedly came over his decision to accept an Opposition-backed motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose residence a large amount of unaccounted cash had been seized earlier this year.
Dhankhar, despite multiple requests from the government to delay the motion, pressed forward. According to various reports, he was in contact with a senior Congress leader.
Reports added that he received enough signatures from Opposition MPs to proceed.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Law Minister Arjun Meghwal, and Rajya Sabha Leader JP Nadda reportedly advised him to wait. Reports have surfaced that they had plans for a joint motion backed by cross-party consensus.
Rijiju had already informed Dhankhar that the Centre intended to move the impeachment motion in the Lok Sabha. He reportedly noted that support had been secured from Opposition parties in the Lower House. Dhankhar’s unilateral action, according to media accounts, raised an alarm within the government. It’s viewed as a serious breach of NDA alignment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have held a meeting with top aides, including the Home Minister, where he expressed strong disappointment with Dhankhar’s actions—particularly given that the BJP had supported his Vice Presidential bid in 2022.
Sources indicate this was not an isolated incident. Tensions had reportedly been simmering for several months. Ahead of US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India, Dhankhar insisted on hosting the main diplomatic meeting as Vance’s counterpart. A senior Cabinet Minister had to intervene, clarifying that Vance was in India to deliver a message from the US President to Prime Minister Modi, not for a Vice President-level bilateral engagement.
Other reported flashpoints during Dhankhar’s tenure included demands that his photo be displayed alongside those of the Prime Minister and the President in all ministers’ offices, and repeated requests to upgrade his official vehicle fleet to Mercedes-Benz models.
The final signal came on Monday afternoon. Dhankhar made an unannounced visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan. After waiting for about 25 minutes, he submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu.
Other reports attributing sources said Dhankhar still expected the government to reach out or delay accepting his resignation. However, no such gesture came. The government had already resolved that he must step down, and his resignation was accepted without delay.
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