Ex-West Bengal governor Dhankhar India’s new Vice President

Former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who was elected as India’s 14th vice president on Saturday, has varied administrative experience and has been in public life for over three decades.

Born on 18 May, 1951, in an agrarian household in a village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, Dhankhar completed his school education from Sainik School, Chittorgarh.

After finishing his graduation in physics, he pursued LLB from the University of Rajasthan. Despite being a first-generation professional, he became one of the leading lawyers in the state.

Dhankhar, 71, has practised in both the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court of India. He entered public life after getting elected as a Member of Parliament from Jhunjhunu in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections on a Janata Dal ticket. He also served as a Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in 1990. His politics was initially influenced by former deputy prime minister Devi Lal.

Dhankhar, who belongs to the Jat community, later shifted focus to state politics and was elected to the Rajasthan Assembly in 1993 from Kishangarh constituency in Ajmer district.

Appointed West Bengal governor in 2019, he had differences with the Trinamool Congress government on several issues. He resigned as West Bengal governor on 17 July before filing his nomination as the vice-presidential candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Prime minister Narendra Modi referred the humility of the NDA vice-presidential nominee and said he has always worked for the well-being of farmers.

“Kisan Putra Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji is known for his humility. He brings with him an illustrious legal, legislative and gubernatorial career. He has always worked for the well-being of farmers, youth, women and the marginalised. Glad that he will be our VP candidate,” said PM Modi in a Twitter post.

“Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has excellent knowledge of our Constitution. He is also well-versed with legislative affairs. I am sure that he will be an outstanding Chair in the Rajya Sabha and guide the proceedings of the House with the aim of furthering national progress,” prime minister added.

The vice president-elect Dhankhar will take the oath of office on 11 August, a day after the term of the incumbent vice president M Venkaiah Naidu ends.

The vice president is also chairman of Rajya Sabha. Dhankar will preside over the proceedings of the upper House of Parliament at a time when there are apparent divisions between the treasury benches and opposition.

With Dhankhar’s election as vice-president, the presiding officers of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be from Rajasthan.