Finance
Today on Thursday, Jagdeep Dhankhar takes oath as India’s 14th Vice President. During a brief ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to Dhankhar (71). Dhankhar took the oath in the name of God in Hindi. After Dhankhar signed the register of oath, Murmu said, “Bahut-bahut badhai (many congratulations).”
The Election Commission’s certification of election issued to Dhankhar was read out before his inauguration.
Among those present were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhankhar’s predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu, former President Ram Nath Kovind, former Vice President M Hamid Ansari, and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Nitin Gadkari.
Dhankhar paid his respects at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, in the morning. “Felt blessed, inspired, and motivated to be ever in service of Bharat in the serene sublimity of Raj Ghat while paying respects to pujya Bapu,” he said at the time. Dhankhar’s reemergence in the political scene as West Bengal governor in 2019 astounded many, as has his rise to the office of Vice President of India.
Dhankhar was declared the Vice President on Saturday after receiving 528 votes to his opponent Margaret Alva’s 182. With a long legal career at the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court, as well as a brief stint as the Centre’s junior parliamentary affairs minister, will come in handy as he presides over Rajya Sabha as its chairman.
Dhankhar, who had previously worked with the Janata Dal and the Congress, only joined the BJP in 2008, after a nearly ten-year absence. He has advocated for Other Backward Classes issues, such as granting OBC status to the Jat community in Rajasthan. While his surprise appointment as West Bengal governor in 2019 thrust him back into the political spotlight, he did not shy away from the rigors of politics, and was frequently embroiled in clashes with the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress.
While announcing his candidacy for the vice presidential election, the BJP referred to Dhankhar as a “kisan putra,” a move seen in political circles as an attempt to reach out to the politically significant Jat community, which had participated in large numbers in the year-long farmers’ protests on the borders of the national capital against agriculture reform measures unveiled in June 2020.
Dhankhar, who played cricket in school and was interested in spirituality and meditation, began his political career with the Janata Dal and won the Lok Sabha elections from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan in 1989, under the shadow of the Bofors scandal. He served as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar for a short time.
Dhankhar was influenced by Devi Lal during his early political career and later switched to the Congress during Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao’s tenure.
After stepping down as an MLA, Dhankhar concentrated on his legal career, working as a Supreme Court lawyer. He also served as a member of the International Court of Arbitration in Paris for three years. Dhankhar, according to BJP President J P Nadda, is a first-generation lawyer with administrative experience. Dhankhar is also known for having cordial relationships with leaders from opposing parties, which will come in handy as he preside over the Rajya Sabha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said Dhankhar had excellent knowledge of the Constitution and was well-versed with legislative affairs.”I am sure that he will be an outstanding Chair in Rajya Sabha and guide the proceedings of the House with the aim of furthering national progress,” the prime minister said on July 16.
The presiding officers of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are now from Rajasthan, one of the only two states ruled by Congress governments. Both would go to the polls the following year.
Dhankhar was born on May 18, 1951 in Kithana village of Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district. He attended primary school in the village before attending the Sainik School in Chittorgarh on a full scholarship. According to his biography on the West Bengal Raj Bhavan website, after graduating from Sainik School, he enrolled in the B.Sc (Honours) Physics course at the Maharaja’s College, Jaipur. He is also a voracious reader and sports fan, and he has served as president of the Rajasthan Olympic Association and the Rajasthan Tennis Association.
