NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed scepticism over vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar 's resignation on medical grounds, calling him "a healthy man" and suggesting there might be more to the story.
When asked by reporters in Howrah about his sudden exit, Banerjee said, "I don't want to make any comment about this. Let's see what happens. He is a healthy man. I think his health is absolutely okay".
Dhankhar stepped down on the very first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, with his resignation immediately accepted by President Droupadi Murmu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi later posted on X, wishing him well and acknowledging his years of public service, saying, "Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India."
However, his abrupt departure with over two years left in his term has triggered a wave of political speculation .
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh pointed to "far deeper reasons" behind the move, citing a possible incident between 1 PM and 4.30 PM on Monday. He detailed how Dhankhar chaired a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting at 12.30 PM and rescheduled it for 4.30 PM, only for senior BJP leaders JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju to skip it without directly informing him, something Ramesh claimed might have upset the Vice President.
The BJP, however, dismissed these suspicions. Nadda clarified that both he and Rijiju had informed Dhankhar’s office in advance about their absence from the second BAC meeting.
Adding more intrigue was Dhankhar’s last official act, he allowed the submission of a motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, just before stepping down.
Dhankhar had been critical of the judiciary in the past, especially the Supreme Court's use of Article 142 and the collegium system.
There are also murmurs of a larger political manoeuvre. Bihar's RJD alleged that the resignation might be part of a BJP strategy to move Nitish Kumar to a “ceremonial” role as Vice President, ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections . NDA leaders have dismissed this theory, but Dhankhar's resignation continues to stir debate across political circles and states.
As per the Constitution, there is no fixed deadline for filling the Vice-President’s post. The Election Commission will decide the schedule, which will be conducted under the 1952 Act governing Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections.
When asked by reporters in Howrah about his sudden exit, Banerjee said, "I don't want to make any comment about this. Let's see what happens. He is a healthy man. I think his health is absolutely okay".
#WATCH | Howrah: "I don't want to make any comment about this. Let's see what happens. He is a healthy man. I think his health is absolutely okay," says West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation pic.twitter.com/09EKlguQGK
— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2025
Dhankhar stepped down on the very first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, with his resignation immediately accepted by President Droupadi Murmu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi later posted on X, wishing him well and acknowledging his years of public service, saying, "Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India."
However, his abrupt departure with over two years left in his term has triggered a wave of political speculation .
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh pointed to "far deeper reasons" behind the move, citing a possible incident between 1 PM and 4.30 PM on Monday. He detailed how Dhankhar chaired a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting at 12.30 PM and rescheduled it for 4.30 PM, only for senior BJP leaders JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju to skip it without directly informing him, something Ramesh claimed might have upset the Vice President.
The BJP, however, dismissed these suspicions. Nadda clarified that both he and Rijiju had informed Dhankhar’s office in advance about their absence from the second BAC meeting.
Adding more intrigue was Dhankhar’s last official act, he allowed the submission of a motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, just before stepping down.
Dhankhar had been critical of the judiciary in the past, especially the Supreme Court's use of Article 142 and the collegium system.
There are also murmurs of a larger political manoeuvre. Bihar's RJD alleged that the resignation might be part of a BJP strategy to move Nitish Kumar to a “ceremonial” role as Vice President, ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections . NDA leaders have dismissed this theory, but Dhankhar's resignation continues to stir debate across political circles and states.
As per the Constitution, there is no fixed deadline for filling the Vice-President’s post. The Election Commission will decide the schedule, which will be conducted under the 1952 Act governing Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections.
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