Resignation Accepted by President Murmu From Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar; Declared Vacancy
NEW DELHI, INDIA—JULY 22, 2025: The resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has, today, been accepted officially by Droupadi Murmu, the president, with effect from July 21, 2025. The public declaration regarding this acceptance has been made into a formal declaration of the vacancy of the second-highest constitutional position in India through a public message from the President’s Secretariat. Citing “health reasons” for taking this sudden decision by him, the first date of Parliament’s Monsoon Session was reserved by Dhankhar.
Details of the Resignation
Jagdeep Dhankhar, 74, tendered his letter of resignation to President Murmu on July 21, 2025, under Article 67(a) of the Constitution. In his letter, he expressed that his desire was “to prioritize health care and abide by medical advice,” making his resignation immediately effective. Dhankhar took the seat of office in August 2022 and was due to leave his office in 2027 after completing five years in the post.
Constitution and Interim Procedure
The vice president’s office is now vacant, and the Election Commission of India is also accordingly constitutionally required to begin the procedure for the election of a new vice president “as soon as possible.” In accordance with Article 91 of the Constitution, Harivansh Narayan Singh—deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha—will now perform the functions of the Rajya Sabha chairman until such time as a new vice president is elected. A new election of a vice president shall be conducted within 60 days of such vacancy; therefore, the election must be held by September 18, 2025.
Political Reaction and Speculation
The timing of his resignation has given a large fillip to political speculation as to why and when it happened. The Congress party—made up of opposition leaders—has doubted the brevity of the stated reasons for his departure. Since the statements were marked with a little attention, the concern was increased by the non-appearance of BJP President J.P. Nadda and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju at a significant Business Advisory Committee meeting, Pavan Dhankhar, to which the BJP says, “None of this was kept away from ministers related to the meeting.”
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Looking Ahead: Polls for New Vice President
The electors for the election of the vice president are drawn from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The electoral college is comfortably supported by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The political circles are rife with likely candidates, with names such as Harivansh Narayan Singh and other senior leaders or governors floated as possible successors to this sudden vacancy, which would instead call for accelerating political discussions on a consensus candidate for the important constitutional post.
