Tridib Raman
Fame and success are like a fragrance—they never linger with one person for too long. This realization must have dawned on Jagdeep Dhankhar, the former Vice President of India, as well. Otherwise, immersed in devotion to the top leadership, he had orchestrated the grandest stage of political arrogance and theatrics. But today, the silence in the green room of his “solo play” seems to be haunting him. One key point, emerging through reliable sources, is that Dhankhar was not asked to resign by the BJP top brass. In fact, the heat of conversations between him and the leadership escalated so much that he had to take this significant step under pressure. Reportedly, even the Prime Minister was stunned upon hearing of Dhankhar’s resignation. It is said that the PM attempted to call the then Vice President to persuade him otherwise, but for some reason, the conversation never took place.
The bitterness in the relationship between the BJP leadership and Dhankhar had started brewing when he allegedly began fostering closer ties with opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. Recently, while serving as Vice President, Dhankhar invited Rahul for a meeting, which reportedly lasted about two and a half hours during which Dhankhar conveyed clearly that he was in favour of maintaining good relations with opposition parties. Following this, a team of Congress MPs, led by Jairam Ramesh, met the Vice President, and an agreement was reached for better coordination and harmony in the House. It is said that Jairam Ramesh was so enthusiastic about this meeting that he told his leader Mallikarjun Kharge, “You take care of the Lok Sabha; everything is sorted here in the Rajya Sabha.” This comment reached the ears of the BJP leadership. Dhankhar didn’t stop there—he began meeting with leaders of other opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress. He even met with Arvind Kejriwal.
Further raising eyebrows, Dhankhar also held meetings with about half a dozen journalists known for their left-leaning views and criticism of the ruling party, individuals recognized for their independent stance. From several public platforms, the Vice President began openly speaking in favour of farmers’ rights. The ruling party started to feel the heat of his statements. In recent times, Dhankhar had also openly criticized the judiciary, challenging its dominance—another sore point for the government. Since the new Chief Justice B R Gavai assumed office in the Supreme Court, the government has wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation with the judiciary. Dhankhar was particularly enthusiastic and active in the matter of impeachment proceedings against Justice Yashwant Verma. Since the issue had already been introduced in the Lok Sabha, the government preferred to wait it out in the Rajya Sabha. However, Dhankhar, armed with signatures from 61 opposition Rajya Sabha MPs, opened the door for impeachment proceedings in the Upper House as well. This move was seen as a direct challenge to the power corridors of Delhi.
It Started with Nadda and Went Much Further
Tridib Raman
In the House, when JP Nadda, referring to Kharge, remarked in a particular tone, “Nadda will decide what said in the House goes on record or not,” Dhankhar became visibly uncomfortable with both the content and manner of Nadda’s statement. According to sources, after the session was adjourned, the then Vice President immediately summoned Nadda to his chamber and rebuked him sharply, reportedly saying, “Who are you to encroach upon my jurisdiction and issue commands to me?” Nadda conveyed this confrontation directly to the top BJP leadership. If the sources are to be believed, Dhankhar soon received a phone call from a very influential leader in power, and what began as a conversation gradually turned into a heated exchange. Dhankhar tried to explain to the senior leader on the other end, “Constitutionally, I am still the second-highest authority in the country. You are junior to me — you cannot speak to me in this tone.” To this, the response came, “Tomorrow, we will bring a no-confidence motion against you — then your chair will not remain yours.” It is said the conversation ended on this extremely tense note. Immediately afterward, BJP Rajya Sabha MPs were summoned to the chamber of a senior cabinet minister, where their signatures were taken on blank sheets of paper. When the Vice President got wind of this, he suspected that preparations for bringing an impeachment motion against him were underway. Being well-versed in the Constitution, Dhankhar knew that if a motion was brought in the Rajya Sabha, he could be forced out of office. He went home and discussed the matter with his wife and daughter. The family agreed that rather than being removed from the post, it would be better to resign voluntarily and with dignity — and Dhankhar did exactly that.
Dhankhar’s First Call to Jayant
Tridib Raman
After submitting his resignation from the post, Dhankhar made his first phone call to Union Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary. Sources claim that Dhankhar considers Jayant his adopted son and holds a special affection for him. Sources indicate that Dhankhar played the most crucial role in pulling Jayant away from Akhilesh Yadav’s camp and bringing him closer to the BJP during the last election. It is also being claimed that early the next morning, Jayant visited Dhankhar at his residence, and the two leaders had a long conversation. Since Dhankhar’s resignation, it is widely perceived that discontent among the Jat community towards the BJP has grown further. Earlier, when the matter involving Jat leader Satyapal Malik escalated, the BJP had to bear the brunt in the Jat-dominated regions of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Western Uttar Pradesh. It is said that due to this “Jat effect,” the BJP lost 3 seats in Haryana, 7 in Rajasthan, and the Muzaffarnagar and Nagina seats in Western UP. In addition, the victory margins of BJP candidates in Western UP also decreased. Now it remains to be seen how long Dhankhar can maintain his silence under the cloak of restraint in these new circumstances.
Jammu-Kashmir Congress Falls Prey to Factionalism
Tridib Raman
Despite struggling through adverse circumstances, the Congress party still seems unable to internalize its political lessons. Factionalism in Congress is as old as the party itself. The latest example comes from Jammu & Kashmir, where Rahul Gandhi has been putting in his all to revive the party — yet his lieutenants are at war with each other. The state unit’s president, Tariq Hameed Karra, and the party’s in-charge for the region, Syed Naseer Hussain, have thrown down the gauntlet against one another. Rajya Sabha MP Syed Nasir Hussain is considered very close to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Recently, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge wrote a letter to the Prime Minister strongly advocating for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. To give this demand a broader resonance, the fractured state unit of the Congress hurriedly mobilized and organized a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. During the protest, Naseer deliberately invited some leaders from the anti-Karra faction to the stage. This deeply hurt Karra, to the extent that he unofficially boycotted the subsequent Congress press conference. Even though he was staying nearby at Himachal Bhawan, just a short distance from the Congress headquarters, he made an excuse that “since he got drenched, he developed a high fever and was therefore unable to attend the press conference.” However, Syed Naseer made several attempts to call him to invite him to the press conference, but Karra did not even consider it necessary to answer his calls. The press conference went ahead and was addressed by senior leaders like Digvijaya Singh and Omar Abdullah, but Karra was conspicuously absent. Interestingly, the very next day, Karra boarded the Vande Bharat train for an eight-hour journey to Jammu, looking perfectly fit and fine — making it clear that his “illness” was merely a tactic to snub Naseer Hussain.
Rahul’s Affection for Dhankhar
This Friday, Rahul Gandhi called Jagdeep Dhankhar, first inquiring about his well-being, then said, “It’s unfortunate that the government isn’t holding any farewell for you, so 25-26 opposition parties have decided to organize a farewell event in your honour at Delhi’s Ashok Hotel, where we’ll discuss your contributions to the House.” It’s said that Dhankhar was initially emotional about the proposal but then composed himself and replied, “I’m deeply grateful to you and the entire opposition for thinking of me, but I don’t want to give this matter any political colour. You won’t be inviting the PM to this event, will you?” Rahul responded, “Why not? We’ll definitely invite him, but whether he attends is his choice.” As soon as news of Rahul’s initiative reached Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee, she immediately called Kharge and reprimanded him, saying, “Rahul ji takes Trinamool’s name everywhere, but why wasn’t our consent taken for organizing a farewell for Dhankhar ji?” Clearly, Kharge had no response to this.
VP Race Heats Up: Arif Khan Meets Shah, Nitish Backs Karpoori Thakur’s Son
Recently, while RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was in Delhi, he met with several prominent Muslim intellectuals and Islamic scholars. Coincidentally, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan also happened to be in Delhi the same day. Everyone assumed he too had come to meet the RSS chief, but instead, he went straight to meet Home Minister Amit Shah. This sparked speculation that he might also be in the running for the Vice President’s post. But the question arises — would a figure like him be a suitable face for a party like the BJP, which is often openly associated with Hindu-centric politics? On the other hand, Nitish Kumar is openly lobbying for Ram Nath Thakur, son of the late Karpoori Thakur, for the Vice President’s post. His goal is to consolidate the OBC and EBC voter base back in JD(U)’s favour. Karpoori Thakur is remembered as a staunch opponent of upper castes and a champion of the poor and backward classes, a legacy Nitish is keen to leverage. However, critics point out a recurring irony about Nitish: “Whenever Nitish gets a chance, the cream of his political quota ends up being taken by upper castes.” For instance, in the latest cabinet formation at the Centre, it was Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh, a Bhumihar, who secured a ministerial berth from JD(U)’s quota. And Nitish has also appointed Sanjay Kumar Jha, a Brahmin, as his party’s national executive president.
