All you need to know about Jagdeep Dhankhar: 5 key facts about India’s 14th Vice-President

Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar speaks at an event. File photo

Former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, on Wednesday (November 11, 2026), after he reportedly fell unconscious during his morning walk.

The 75-year-old former Vice-President and former Rajya Sabha Chairman has been admitted to the hospital’s cardio-neuro centre and is under the care of the Department of Cardiology for medical evaluation and treatment, the sources added.

Here are five interesting facts about the former Vice-President of India:

Jagdeep Dhankhar was born in 1951 in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district and studied at Sainik School, Chittorgarh, on a scholarship. A physics graduate, he subsequently pursued a career in law.

“I come from a farming background. The sacrifice of our farmers and Army personnel for our country is immense, and we will always remain grateful to them,” Mr. Dhankhar said after visiting the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on February 28, 2026.

Mr. Dhankhar appeared for those accused of murdering 18-year-old Roop Kanwar by burning her alive on her husband’s pyre on September 4, 1987. All 45 persons charged in the case were later acquitted. In 1998, he appeared for actor Salman Khan in the blackbuck poaching case.

His political career began with a meeting with socialist leader Chaudhary Devi Lal. “I was not his relative. I remember the day when I saw him for the first time. When he asked me to contest the election, I replied that I was a pleader. He said, remove the ‘P’ and become a leader,” Mr. Dhankhar said at a convocation ceremony in Haryana in March 2025.

Mr. Dhankhar has been associated with three parties of different political persuasions: the Janata Dal, the Congress and, later, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

His appearance on behalf of Roop Kanwar’s in-laws earned him support among sections of the Rajput community, which had campaigned against legal action in the case. It was among the factors that contributed to his victory in the 1989 Lok Sabha election as a Janata Dal candidate. During the 11-month Janata Dal government at the Centre, he served as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

In 1991, he joined the Congress and contested the Lok Sabha election from Ajmer but lost to the BJP candidate by more than 25,000 votes. Two years later, he won the Rajasthan Assembly election from Kishangarh, defeating the BJP candidate by 1,958 votes.

In 2003, he joined the BJP. He later developed close ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and was among the lawyers advising senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar, who was linked to the 2007 Ajmer blast case.

On July 30, 2019, Mr. Dhankhar was sworn in as the Governor of West Bengal. His tenure was marked by frequent public confrontations with the State government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Trinamool Congress often described him as the “real Leader of the Opposition”.

However, when the BJP nominated him as its Vice-Presidential candidate, the Trinamool Congress abstained from voting, alleging that the Congress had not consulted it before fielding Margaret Alva. Mr. Dhankhar won the 2022 Vice-Presidential election with 74.37% of the vote, recording the largest victory margin since 1992.

In December 2024, Mr. Dhankhar became the first Rajya Sabha Chairman against whom the Opposition moved a no-confidence motion. Sixty members of the INDIA bloc submitted a notice to the Rajya Sabha Secretary-General seeking his removal. They accused him of repeatedly interrupting Opposition members and denying Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge opportunities to intervene when Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Leader of the House J.P. Nadda spoke. The notice was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.

During his tenure as Vice-President, Mr. Dhankhar frequently courted controversy over remarks made both inside and outside Parliament. As Rajya Sabha Chairman, he drew attention for his criticism of the judiciary, maintaining that courts should interpret laws rather than interfere in the law-making process. The Opposition accused him of favouring the government and had threatened to move a no-confidence motion against him in December 2024.

While he occasionally differed from the government on issues concerning farmers, he remained outspoken on judicial accountability. He also issued cautionary remarks to governments against becoming disconnected from the people, and spoke extensively on issues such as Sanatana Dharma and the inclusion of the words “socialist” and “secular” in the Constitution.

Mr. Dhankhar also criticised the Supreme Court’s 2015 judgment striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act. In January 2023, he questioned the continuing relevance of the basic structure doctrine laid down in the Kesavananda Bharati case.

He later strongly criticised the Supreme Court for prescribing timelines for the President and Governors to act on Bills referred by State legislatures. Following reports of the alleged recovery of burnt currency notes from the residence of then Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma, he renewed calls for a discussion on the NJAC law.

On another occasion, he called for a review of the K. Veeraswami judgment, the 1991 Supreme Court ruling that examined whether the Prevention of Corruption Act applies to judges of higher courts. Describing the judgment as a “judicial legerdemain”, Mr. Dhankhar argued that it lay at the root of concerns about corruption in the judiciary.

In a dramatic development, Mr. Dhankhar resigned as Vice-President on July 21, 2025, citing health reasons. In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, he said he was stepping down with immediate effect.

He had assumed office in August 2022 and was to serve until 2027. As the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, his resignation came on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Mr. Dhankhar’s departure nearly two years before the completion of his term fuelled speculation about the reasons behind his decision. Opposition parties suggested that tensions with the government may have played a role.

“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 p.m. today and had spoken to him over the phone at 7.30 p.m.,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also questioned Mr. Dhankhar’s silence on his unexpected resignation, suggesting there was more to the development than was publicly known.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had earlier welcomed his nomination as the NDA’s Vice-Presidential candidate by praising his “illustrious legal, legislative and gubernatorial career” in a post on X, offered a brief farewell message after his resignation.

“Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health,” the Prime Minister said.