22 July 2025 – India’s politics took a shocking turn on Monday, 21 July 2025 evening when Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post. He submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu citing health reasons. The announcement raised speculation and surprise in political circles, as just hours earlier Mr. Dhankhar had chaired the Rajya Sabha on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
74-year-old Mr. Dhankhar submitted his resignation to the President under Article 67 (a) of the Constitution, saying that he has taken this decision to “prioritize health care and follow medical advice”. His resignation came into effect immediately.
In his letter shared on the Vice President’s official ‘X’ (former Twitter) handle at 9:25 pm on Monday, Mr. Dhankhar thanked President Droupadi Murmu for her “unwavering support and peaceful working relationship”. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers, saying their cooperation and support has been “invaluable”. He wrote that it has been a “matter of pride” for him to witness and contribute to India’s “amazing economic progress and unprecedented, rapid growth”.
A sudden and unexpected departure
Mr. Dhankhar’s decision has come as “sudden” and “unexpected” for political analysts and opposition parties. He appeared fully active and healthy during the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha during the day, making the decision even more surprising. Many leaders, including Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, have expressed the possibility of “serious reasons” behind this decision. Ramesh alleged that two senior ministers JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju were absent in the rescheduled meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) held at 4:30 pm on Monday, due to which the Vice President felt insulted.
Mr. Dhankhar has become the first Vice President of India to resign due to health reasons. Earlier, V.V. Giri and R. Venkataraman resigned to contest the presidential election. Mr. Dhankhar was sworn in as Vice President on August 11, 2022 and his term was scheduled till August 2027. But he has stepped down two years and 20 days before the expiry of his term, necessitating a fresh election for the constitutional post.
Constitutional provisions and further process
Now that the post of Vice President has fallen vacant, the Election Commission of India will soon begin the process of electing a new Vice President. According to the Constitution, the vacancy is required to be filled “as soon as may be”. The Vice President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha through secret ballot and the system of proportional representation. The person elected will serve a full term of five years.
Till then, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh will preside over the proceedings of the Upper House, as provided in Article 91 of the Constitution.
During his nearly three-year tenure, Mr. Dhankhar, who was also the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, had several heated arguments with opposition parties over the functioning of Parliament and constitutional interpretations. His tough stand on the supremacy of Parliament was much discussed. His resignation came on the very first day of the monsoon session, which has made this session of Parliament even more interesting and mysterious.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has a majority in the electoral college, is now deliberating on possible candidates for this important constitutional post. This entire development was so quick and unexpected that even the ruling coalition is surprised.
