Jagdeep Dhankhar’s surprise resignation as Vice President sets off a flurry of speculation, with insiders pointing to alleged “heated exchanges” and a silent BJP leadership.
It was a send-off so brief it could fit in a tweet. Actually, it did. Just 26 words — that’s all Prime Minister Narendra Modi used to acknowledge Jagdeep Dhankhar’s abrupt exit as India’s Vice President.
The message, posted Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter), stunned even seasoned BJP veterans. For a man who presided over the Rajya Sabha till just hours before his resignation and had never publicly strayed from the government line, the silence from the rest of the party was louder than Modi’s words.
And those words? Cold. Terse. Even calculated.
“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.”
That was it.
A Departure That Nobody Saw Coming
Dhankhar had shown no signs of stepping away. Just 11 days ago, he had declared he’d retire in August 2027 — only if “divine intervention” didn’t interfere. Well, something did.
On Monday, he was presiding over the Rajya Sabha, sharp, upright, even vocal. Hours later, he said he was quitting due to health reasons. No elaborate statement. No press conference. No farewell ceremony. Just a letter and a sudden vacuum.
The Ministry of Home Affairs didn’t waste time. It invoked Article 67A of the Constitution to make the resignation effective immediately. No leeway. No wiggle room.
And the very next day, Modi’s micro-message landed. No photo, no meeting, no ceremony. Just a post that felt more like a formality than a farewell.
Rumors Swirl: What Really Went Down?
If Dhankhar had grown disillusioned, he didn’t show it publicly. But insiders suggest the façade had been cracking.
According to government sources, the former VP had a fiery disagreement with key BJP strategists. A senior BJP MP, speaking strictly off the record, didn’t mince words: “It reeks of disgust and anger. Something went seriously wrong.”
Another source close to the upper echelons of the BJP hinted at multiple points of friction:
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Dhankhar’s recent interventions during Rajya Sabha debates reportedly rubbed some senior ministers the wrong way.
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He was said to have expressed dissatisfaction with being kept out of key policy briefings.
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There was buzz that he privately questioned some of the government’s legislative tactics during the monsoon session.
Whatever the cause, something clearly snapped.
Modi’s Message: Bare Minimum, Maximum Impact
Let’s break down the Prime Minister’s 26 words. He acknowledged Dhankhar’s past roles — vague. He wished him good health — neutral. No mention of appreciation. No thanks for service. No word of praise.
It wasn’t just short — it was deliberate. And BJP leaders took note.
“This is not how Modi ji usually operates,” a former Union minister told this publication. “Even when M. Venkaiah Naidu stepped down, there was warmth, a proper farewell. This? This was like deleting someone from your contacts.”
The lack of follow-up from other BJP stalwarts only added fuel to the fire. Not a single Cabinet member made a statement. No Lok Sabha speaker. No BJP president. Just… silence.
A “Yes Man” Who Maybe Said “No”
Dhankhar was never seen as a political maverick. Quite the opposite. He was, for most of his career, a textbook example of loyalty. A lawyer by training and governor of West Bengal before he became VP, he often echoed the government’s voice — sometimes so loudly that the Opposition accused him of partiality.
That’s what makes this turn of events so strange.
Could it be that Dhankhar, after years of toeing the line, finally had enough? Or was he simply a casualty of political reshuffling? Nobody’s saying it out loud, but the whispers have turned into full-blown murmurs inside the BJP’s corridors.
One MP, a second-time Rajya Sabha member, put it bluntly: “If this can happen to Dhankhar, then no one is safe.”
Quick Look: Vice Presidents and Their Exits
Here’s a brief table comparing the exits of the last three Indian Vice Presidents:
| Vice President | Year of Exit | Reason Given | PM’s Reaction | Public Farewell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Venkaiah Naidu | 2022 | Term Completed | Heartfelt speech & post | Yes |
| Hamid Ansari | 2017 | Term Completed | Respectful statement | Yes |
| Jagdeep Dhankhar | 2025 | “Health reasons” | 26-word X post | None |
Even critics of Ansari, a Congress appointee, were offered a courteous goodbye. Dhankhar, by contrast, was simply left at the gate.
Opposition Pounces, But BJP Plays Defence
The Congress wasn’t going to let this slide. Party leader Jairam Ramesh called it “the shortest farewell in the history of Parliament” and demanded clarity on the real reason.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien quipped, “So much for loyalty. Jagdeep Da got ghosted.”
And while the Opposition ramped up pressure, the BJP’s top brass played it cool — too cool. No counterstatements. No clarifications. Just a stony wall.
Some say this silence is strategic. Others say it’s fear. But nobody’s pretending it’s business as usual.
Where Does This Leave the Rajya Sabha?
With the Vice President gone, the Rajya Sabha is without a presiding officer during a live Parliament session. That’s no small matter.
Sources in Parliament House say senior bureaucrats were caught off guard. There’s talk of appointing a caretaker chairperson, but nothing formal yet.
Meanwhile, the monsoon session proceeds — awkwardly. With Opposition MPs now using Dhankhar’s exit as ammunition, even routine proceedings feel strained.
One Rajya Sabha secretary, visibly frustrated, said, “It’s like we’re running a ship without a captain. And nobody knows why he jumped overboard.”
