Explained: Why Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation as vice president has triggered speculation

Monday, July 21, was the opening day of the monsoon session in Parliament. Business began as usual in both the houses of Parliament with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar presiding over proceedings in the Upper House, Rajya Sabha.

It all went smoothly until a few hours later when Vice President Dhankhar dropped a huge bombshell; the 74-year-old announced that he’s resigning from his position in a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, in which he wrote that he was stepping down immediately “to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice”.

His move comes two years too early in his five-year tenure — his tenure was to officially end on August 10, 2027 — prompting leaders from the opposition to speculate about the reasons for his resignation.

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So, what exactly led to Vice President Dhankhar resigning? Was it owing to his health or is there some other reason?

What did Dhankhar’s resignation letter reveal?

On Monday, after an eventful first day at Rajya Sabha, sources note that Dhankhar had an “unscheduled” meeting with President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Hours later, he dropped the bombshell — that he was resigning immediately.

In a letter to the President, Dhankhar wrote, “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the constitution.

“I extend my deepest gratitude to Your Excellency — the Hon’ble President of India for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure.

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“I express my deep gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the esteemed Council of Ministers. Prime Minister’s cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office.”

He concluded his letter, writing, “As I leave this esteemed office, I am filled with pride in Bharat’s global rise and phenomenal achievements and hold unwavering confidence in her brilliant future.”

pic.twitter.com/n4nsDOxLGb

— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) July 21, 2025

Notably, Dhankhar’s exit comes two years before his tenure comes to an end. Dhankhar was elected as India’s 14th Vice-President in 2022, taking the oath on August 11, 2022. And through his tenure, he’s been known for his firmness, which even resulted in an unprecedented impeachment motion filed by opposition parties in December 2024.

Are health concerns reason for Dhankhar’s exit?

While Dhankhar claims that it was for medical reasons that he had taken the step of quitting, many in the opposition are questioning the timing and speculating if there’s more than meets the eye.

It is no secret that the 74-year-old now former vice president had health issues — he had undergone angioplasty at AIIMS, Delhi, and was admitted for a few days in March. In June, he even fainted while attending the Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Kumaon University. However, he remained active in Parliament, chairing the proceedings in Rajya Sabha quite capably.

In fact, many in the Congress questioned the timing of Dhankhar’s exit. One such MP is Jairam Ramesh. He said that he had been with Dhankhar earlier that day and had a conversation with him shortly before the announcement.

“The sudden resignation of the vice president and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is inexplicable. I was with him alongside a number of other MPs till around 5 pm today and had spoken to him over the phone at 7:30 pm. No doubt … (he) has to give topmost priority to his health. But clearly there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye. This is not the time for speculation though,” “wrote the Congress general secretary in-charge communications on X.

“Two and two don’t always make four. In politics, not everything is straight. There are some things. There are the Bihar elections. You can think… Tomorrow will bring answers. He could have resigned in the day, but it seems he was under pressure or it was as per planning,” said Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey also speculated over Dhankhar’s exit. “The news of the vice president resigning due to health reasons is concerning. We sincerely pray for his well-being. However, a question arises, today marked the first day of the Monsoon Session, and his resignation on the same day raises eyebrows… What is going on in this government? This decision came without proper consultation or discussion. If health was the concern, the resignation could have been submitted a few days before the session or even after.”

Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Javed Ali Khan said he had seen the vice president in the House and “he seemed fine”. “Today, it didn’t seem like there is a health issue, but if there is any issue, we pray to God he stays healthy. Things will become clear soon,” he said.

For many MPs of Parliament, the timing of Dhankhar’s resignation was suspect. Many even pointed to the fact that the vice president had an eventful first day in Rajya Sabha and even planned for meetings and events for the next day.

For instance, on Monday, he asked the secretary general to take the necessary steps required after an opposition-sponsored notion for a motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma of Allahabad High Court over burnt wads of cash found at his residence was submitted to him. Moreover, he also administered the oath to the newly elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha.

Dhankhar had even scheduled a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee for Tuesday afternoon, and was also supposed to make “major announcements related to the judiciary”.

Many political pundits are guessing now as to whether Dhankhar’s health reasons are the real cause of his resignation. They point to the fact that the vice president accepted the opposition’s appeal to remove Justice Varma — a move that caught the Centre unaware.

According to a report in The Federal what has stoked the fires even more is that JP Nadda, BJP president and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were not president for a meeting that Dhankhar had called on Monday evening.

He also had a packed schedule for the coming days beyond his role as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. In fact, the Vice President’s Secretariat had put out a press communiqué announcing that he would be travelling to Jaipur on July 23 to interact with the newly elected members of Credai, the apex body of private real estate developers in India.

All of these reasons have led some to believe that it wasn’t Dhankhar’s health that led him to hand in his resignation all of a sudden.

What comes next?

While the Centre hasn’t issued any comments yet on the matter of Dhankhar’s exit, it has been reported that Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh, will fill in for him for the rest of this session.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission will notify the poll schedule for the vice president soon. Only MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will vote in this election using a secret ballot and a proportional system. As per the rules, the election must be held before September 19, 2025.

The big question is: who will be the candidates for the ruling National Democratic Alliance and for the opposition’s Indi bloc?

With inputs from agencies