Lawyer, Politician, and Parliamentarian: Jagdeep Dhankhar’s legal and political legacy

Jagdeep Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his office on July 21, 2025, citing ongoing health concerns and a pressing need to prioritize his personal well-being, according to the resignation letter he submitted to President Droupadi Murmu.

He served as India’s 14th Vice President from August 11, 2022, until his resignation. Earlier, he was the Governor of West Bengal from July 2019 to July 2022, and was known for his vocal exchanges with the state’s Trinamool Congress government.

He is the third Vice President of India to resign during his tenure after V V Giri and R Venkataraman, who had resigned from the post of vice president to contest the presidential election.

He is also the only vice president against whom the opposition brought a notice of removal for "partisan" conduct as the chairman of the Upper House.

Dhankhar was known for his vocal stance on the Judiciary, particularly regarding the separation of powers. He was sharply critical of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, which aimed to replace the collegium system for appointing judges to the Supreme Court and high courts.

In a remark made in the presence of then Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, Dhankhar questioned the legitimacy of the court overturning a law that had been passed by both Houses of Parliament with near-unanimous support.

Dhankhar was born on May 18, 1951, in Kithana village in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. He completed his early education at Sainik School, Chittorgarh, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Maharaja’s College, Jaipur, affiliated with the University of Rajasthan.

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He later completed his LLB from the University of Rajasthan in 1978–1979 and was enrolled with the Bar Council of Rajasthan as an advocate. He practiced in various High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.

Dhankhar started his political career in 1989, when he won the Jhunjhunu Lok Sabha seat as a Janata Dal candidate and served as Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs from 1990–91.

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He later served as an MLA in Rajasthan (1993–98) before returning to legal practice and eventually joining the BJP, where in 2016, he became the national convenor of its legal affairs cell.

Known for his strong debating style and outspoken criticism of judicial overreach, Dhankhar often featured prominently in public discourse as Rajya Sabha Chairperson and Vice President.

Dhankhar’s resignation will be followed by an early vice-presidential election, as mandated by Article 67 of the Constitution, to fill the vacant office.