Amid rising political tensions, senior central ministers reportedly contacted Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar just hours before his sudden resignation. Sources say the outreach came after he accepted an Opposition-backed impeachment notice against Justice Yashwant Varma.
New Delhi: At least two senior central ministers reached out to former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar after learning that he acknowledged an Opposition-sponsored notice for the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma.
One minister hinted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s disapproval of the move, but the 74-year-old Dhankhar maintained that he was acting within the rules of the House, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Union Health Minister and Leader of the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda, along with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, spoke to Dhankhar on Monday after he discussed the impeachment notice in the Rajya Sabha, which was signed by 63 members.
One anonymous source reported,
“Rijiju told Dhankhar that in the Lok Sabha, there is a process of building a consensus on the impeachment and pointed out that the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had signed the notice. He even indicated that the PM is not happy about the sudden development,”
Dhankhar, however, indicated he was acting well within the rules, the same source added. Following this exchange, which occurred after the first Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Rajya Sabha at 12:30 PM, the ministers chose not to attend the second BAC meeting scheduled for 4:30 PM that day.
According to reports, Dhankhar’s action to initiate the impeachment process against Justice Varma in the Rajya Sabha took the government by surprise, as they preferred the process to unfold in the Lok Sabha.
This unexpected development contributed to Dhankhar’s abrupt resignation. On the same day, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced it had begun preparations for the next vice-presidential elections amid heightened political activity in Delhi following Dhankhar’s resignation two days prior.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister JP Nadda, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla amid speculation about Dhankhar’s acknowledgment of the impeachment notice.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh also engaged in a lengthy meeting with Birla, where pending impeachment notices were a key topic of discussion. Government officials indicated a desire to address the issue promptly and may urge the presiding officers to initiate the impeachment process by appointing a committee of jurists to investigate the allegations and report back to Parliament.
A senior government official, adding that the Centre would prefer to proceed with the Lok Sabha notice,stated,
“The government is in no mood to take up the Opposition-sponsored notice,”
Separately, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge mentioned that constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) would convene to collectively strategize for the upcoming vice-presidential election and decide on potential candidates.
On Monday night, Dhankhar, citing health reasons, resigned unexpectedly, stating in his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu,
“To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.”
The Union Home Ministry formalized this decision through a gazette notification, which was issued shortly after Prime Minister Modi’s brief message, 15 hours and 18 minutes after Dhankhar’s resignation announcement.
The ECI stated that it had started forming the electoral college comprising MPs from both Houses, noting that both elected and nominated members are eligible to vote in the vice-presidential election. It is also in the process of finalizing the returning officer and assistant returning officers.
The ECI confirmed,
“On completion of the preparatory activities, the announcement of the election schedule to the office of the Vice President of India will follow as soon as possible,”
In the 782-member electoral college, the National Democratic Alliance holds a majority with 426 members, while the INDIA bloc has 312 members. According to Clause 2 of Article 68 of the Constitution, an election to fill a vacancy in the vice presidency due to death, resignation, or removal must be held as soon as possible after the vacancy occurs.
The elected individual will serve a full term of five years from the date they assume office. From the day the notification is issued to call the electoral college to vote until the election day, a period of 30 days is required. To be elected as vice president, a candidate must be an Indian citizen, at least 35 years old, and qualified to be a member of the Rajya Sabha.
The entire debate surrounding the impeachment motion against Justice Varma, who faces corruption allegations after large sums of cash were found at his residence in March now hinges on whether Dhankhar accepted the notice signed by 63 Opposition members on Monday.
Reports indicate that last week, Dhankhar had asked some Opposition leaders to prepare a notice for the impeachment of Justice Varma in the Rajya Sabha, despite the government’s preference for the notice to be presented only in the Lok Sabha.
A senior Congress lawmaker, who is also a lawyer, quickly drafted the impeachment notice on Sunday. All 63 MPs who signed it on Monday were from Opposition parties, with none from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) being aware of the notice’s preparation.
After the first BAC meeting on Monday, Dhankhar announced,
“I need to inform you that I have received notice of motion under Article 217(1)(B) read with Article 218 and Article 124…to constitute a statutory committee for removal of justice Yashwant Varma. This has been received by me today. It is signed by more than 50 members of the Council of States.”
This notice disrupted the government’s carefully laid plans for Justice Varma’s removal, prompting a furious reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which led to party leaders JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju opting out of the second BAC meeting that evening. Hours later, Dhankhar resigned.
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