The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda on Saturday announced Jagdeep Dhankhar as NDA's candidate for the post of Vice President. He is the currently the Governor of West Bengal. Nadda's announcement came after the party's parliamentary meeting which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Dhankhar was born on May 18, 1951, in Kithana, a small village in the Rajasthan. He is married to Sudesh Dhankhar and they have a daughter.
Education:
Dhankhar graduated with honours in physics from Maharaja's College in Jaipur and an LLB degree from Jaipur University in 1978-79.
Before that he had schooled at Sainik School, Chittorgarh on a full merit scholarship after his primary education from the government school at village Kithana in Jhunjhunu.
Career:
A lawyer by profession, Dhankhar forayed into politics in 1989 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan that same year and became a Union Minister in 1990.
Dhankar, who practised in Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court, was designated a senior advocate in 1990, the same year he became a Union minister.
He was also a member of the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha from 1993 to 1998 representing Kishangarh constituency.
The lawyer-turned politician was appointed the Governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has since had a tumultuous relationship with the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state.
Jagdeep Dhankar vs Bengal govt:
The TMC leadership has often accused him of acting as an "agent of the BJP", while the saffron party in the state looked upon him as an "upholder of constitutional norms".
On his part, Dhankar has claimed he has gone by the rule book and the Constitution in pointing out issues to the Mamata Banerjee government and the state legislature.
Acrimony between Dhankhar and the ruling party and its leader often led to messy situations with both levelling accusations at each other over issues ranging from post-poll violence in the state to delays in assent to bills passed in the House besides interference in the functioning of the civilian bureaucracy and state run universities.
What are Dhankhar's chances of winning?
The electoral college for picking the next vice president comprises members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Out of Parliament's current strength of 780, the BJP alone has 394 MPs, more than the majority mark of 390.
Hence, like in 2017 when both Ram Nath Kovind and M Venkaiah Naidu had won the polls comfortably to occupy the two highest constitutional posts of the country, the BJP is again in a strong position to ensure the win of its candidates.
When is the election?
The last date for filing of nomination papers for the poll is July 19 and the election is scheduled for August 6.
(with agency inputs)
