Jagdeep Dhankhar's Exit: Centre Engaged Him Over Impeachment Move Days Before Surprise Resignation, Says Report

Photo Credit: IANS

New Delhi: At least two senior central ministers reached out to former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar after the government learned that he had acknowledged an Opposition-sponsored impeachment notice against Justice Yashwant Varma. One of the ministers reportedly hinted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s disapproval of the move, but the 74-year-old maintained that he was acting within the rules of the House, according to media sources familiar with the matter on Wednesday.

The Hindustan Times report stated that the Union Health Minister and Rajya Sabha leader JP Nadda, along with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, contacted Dhankhar on Monday after he spoke in the Rajya Sabha regarding the impeachment notice against the sitting high court judge, signed by 63 members.

According to reports, “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.”

Despite this, Dhankhar reportedly insisted that his actions were well within the House rules. Following this exchange, after the first Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Rajya Sabha at 12:30 pm, government leaders chose to skip the second BAC meeting held at 4:30 pm on Monday.

HT had reported on Tuesday that Dhankhar’s move to initiate the impeachment process in the Rajya Sabha caught the government off guard. The administration had preferred the process to begin in the Lok Sabha, and this unexpected step is said to have triggered Dhankhar’s abrupt resignation.

These developments coincided with the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing preparations for the upcoming vice-presidential election amid heated political discussions in Delhi following Dhankhar’s dramatic resignation two days prior.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju, met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla amid speculation about whether Dhankhar admitted the Opposition-sponsored impeachment notice in the Rajya Sabha.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh also held a lengthy meeting with Birla. According to two senior officials, pending impeachment notices were among the key discussion points. Government sources indicated that the administration did not wish to delay the matter and might urge presiding officers to initiate the impeachment process by appointing a committee of jurists to examine the allegations and report back to Parliament.

A senior government official stated, “The government is in no mood to take up the Opposition-sponsored notice,” adding that the Centre would prefer to proceed with the Lok Sabha notice.

Meanwhile, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge told HT that members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will convene to collectively strategize for the upcoming vice-presidential election and decide on a candidate.

On Monday night, Dhankhar, aged 74, resigned citing health reasons in a move that surprised many, especially coming after he had presided over the first day of the monsoon session in the Rajya Sabha.

In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar wrote, “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 the resignation through a gazette notification, issued the same day as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief response, posted 15 hours and 18 minutes after the resignation was announced on Dhankhar’s official X account at 9:25 pm.

The Election Commission confirmed that it has begun forming the electoral college comprising members of both Houses of Parliament, including elected and nominated MPs, all eligible to vote in the vice-presidential election. The commission is also finalizing the returning officer and assistant returning officers.

The 782-member electoral college, which includes parliamentarians from both Houses, currently favors the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with 426 members, while the INDIA bloc has 312 members.

The ECI stated that a formal announcement of the election schedule to the Vice President’s office will follow once the foundational preparations are complete.

Under Clause 2 of Article 68 of the Constitution, an election to fill a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, due to death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, must be held “as soon as possible” after the position becomes vacant.

The elected individual will hold office for the full five-year term beginning from the date they assume the position.

From the issuance of the notification calling the electoral college to vote until the election day, a 30-day period is mandated.

To be eligible for election as Vice President, a candidate must be an Indian citizen, at least 35 years old, and qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

The entire impeachment debate surrounding Justice Varma, who faces corruption allegations after a large amount of cash was seized from his Delhi residence in March, now hinges on whether Dhankhar formally admitted the notice signed by 63 Opposition members on Monday.

HT reported that last week, Dhankhar had asked certain Opposition leaders to submit an impeachment notice for Justice Varma in the Rajya Sabha, even though the government preferred to initiate the process only in the Lok Sabha.

Subsequently, a senior Congress lawmaker and lawyer hurriedly drafted the impeachment notice on Sunday, which 63 Opposition MPs signed on Monday. Notably, no NDA members signed the notice in the Rajya Sabha, reportedly because the NDA was unaware that such a notice was being prepared.

After the first Business Advisory Committee meeting on Monday, Dhankhar informed the House, "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 the 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 planned approach to Justice Varma’s removal. In reaction, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided that JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju would boycott the second BAC meeting presided over by Dhankhar later that evening. Hours afterward, Dhankhar resigned.