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Official portrait, 2022

Vice President of India
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 August 2022
President	Droupadi Murmu
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Venkaiah Naidu
Governor of West Bengal
In office 30 July 2019 – 18 July 2022
Chief Minister	Mamata Banerjee
Preceded by	Keshari Nath Tripathi
Succeeded by	La. Ganesan (additional charge)
Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs
In office 21 November 1990 – 21 June 1991
Minister	Satya Prakash Malaviya
Preceded by	P. Namgyal
Succeeded by	R. K. Kumar
Member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
In office 4 December 1993 – 29 November 1998
Speaker	Hari Shankar Bhabhra Shanti Lal Chaplot
Preceded by	Jagjeet Singh
Succeeded by	Nathu Ram
Constituency	Kishangarh
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 2 December 1989 – 21 June 1991
Speaker	Rabi Ray
Preceded by	Mohammed Ayub Khan
Succeeded by	Mohammed Ayub Khan
Constituency	Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan

Personal details
Born	(1951-05-18) 18 May 1951 (age 74) Kithana, Rajasthan, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Other political affiliations	Indian National Congress (1991–2003) Janata Dal (until 1991)
Spouse	Sudesh Dhankhar (m. 1979)
Children	1
Residence	Vice President's Enclave, New Delhi
Alma mater	University of Rajasthan (BA, LLB)
Profession	Lawyer

Jagdeep Dhankhar was born on May 18, 1951. He is an Indian politician and a skilled lawyer. Since 2022, he has been serving as the Vice President of India. Before this important role, he was the Governor of West Bengal from 2019 to 2022.

Mr. Dhankhar has also held other significant positions. He was a Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs from 1990 to 1991. He was also a member of the Lok Sabha, which is one of India's main parliamentary houses, from 1989 to 1991. Later, from 1993 to 1998, he served as a member of Rajasthan's Legislative Assembly. He has been part of different political parties in India, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), and the Janata Dal (JD).

Early Life and Education

Jagdeep Dhankhar was born on May 18, 1951. His birthplace was Kithana, a village in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India. He grew up in a Hindu Rajasthani Jat family. His parents were Gokal Chand and Kesari Devi.

He attended Sainik School, Chittorgarh for his school education. He completed his early schooling at Kithana Government School and Ghardhana Government School. Later, he earned his B.Sc and LLB degrees from the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur.

In 1979, Dhankhar married Sudesh Dhankhar. They have one daughter named Kamna.

Law Career

Jagdeep Dhankhar became a lawyer in 1979. He joined the Bar Council of Rajasthan. In 1990, he was recognized as a Senior Advocate by the Rajasthan High Court. He held this senior position until he became Governor in 2019.

Since 1990, Dhankhar has mostly worked on constitutional law cases. He has appeared in the Supreme Court of India. He has also worked in various high courts across India. He even served as the president of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association.

In 2016, he represented the state of Haryana in a water dispute. This case involved the Sutlej River and was heard in the Supreme Court.

Political Journey

Jagdeep Dhankhar has been involved in politics for many years. He was first a member of the Janata Dal party. From 1989 to 1991, he represented the Jhunjhunu Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan.

In 1991, he joined the Indian National Congress. He ran for election from the Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency but did not win. Later, he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Kishangarh, Rajasthan. He served in this role from 1993 to 1998.

He ran for election again in 1998 but finished in third place. In 2003, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was part of the party's campaign committee for the 2008 assembly elections. By 2016, he was leading the BJP's law and legal affairs department.

Governor of West Bengal (2019–2022)

Governor of West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi

On July 20, 2019, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, appointed Jagdeep Dhankhar as the Governor of West Bengal. He took his oath of office on July 30, 2019, in Kolkata.

As Governor, Dhankhar often had disagreements with the state government. He also had public discussions with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He often shared his opinions on political matters using social media and news outlets. In response, some called him the "real leader of the opposition".

In January 2022, Chief Minister Banerjee blocked Dhankhar on Twitter. She said he was mentioning her daily in his tweets. On July 13, 2022, Dhankhar met with Chief Minister Banerjee. He also met with the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma. He then visited Delhi and met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He resigned as Governor on July 17, 2022. This was because he was chosen as a candidate for Vice President.

Vice Presidency (2022–Present)

Becoming Vice President

President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath of office to Dhankhar as the 14th Vice President of India

On July 16, 2022, the BJP chose Jagdeep Dhankhar as their candidate for Vice President of India. He was presented as a kisan putra, which means "farmer's son." He ran against Margaret Alva, who was the candidate for the United Opposition.

On July 18, 2022, Dhankhar officially submitted his nomination papers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other important leaders were with him. The election took place on August 6, 2022. Dhankhar won by getting 528 votes out of 710 valid votes. Margaret Alva received 182 votes.

Dhankhar won the 2022 election with 74.37% of the votes. This was the highest winning margin since the 1992 election.

His Time in Office

Jagdeep Dhankhar officially became the Vice President on August 11, 2022. He took the oath of office from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. The ceremony happened at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

No-Confidence Motion

On December 10, 2024, some opposition parties tried to move a motion against Dhankhar. They said he was being unfair. They claimed he stopped opposition members from speaking. At the same time, they said he allowed BJP members to raise their issues.

Dhankar inspects the Guard of Honour at the Indian Naval Academy in May 2023

Electoral Performance

This section is transcluded from 2022 Indian vice presidential election. (edit | history)

2022 Indian vice presidential election

Foreign Trips

Cambodia (November 2022)

Jagdeep Dhankhar's first official trip as Vice President was to Cambodia in November 2022. He represented India at important meetings. These meetings celebrated 70 years of friendship between India and Cambodia. They also marked 30 years of India-ASEAN relations.

The Vice President visited old temples like Ta Prohm Temple and Angkor Wat Temple. He saw the work being done to restore these cultural sites. He also opened the Hall of Dancers at the Ta Prohm Temple.

Qatar (November 2022)

Mr. Dhankhar visited Qatar on November 20-21, 2022. He was invited by the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

United Kingdom (May 2023)

Dhankhar traveled to London on May 5-6, 2023. He attended the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III. He represented the Government of India at this historic event. This was only the second time an Indian leader attended a British coronation. The last time was nearly 70 years ago.

Before the coronation, Vice President Dhankhar and his wife met King Charles III. They also met other world leaders. These included the US First Lady Jill Biden and the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog.

Iran (May 2024)

On May 22, 2024, Vice President Dhankhar visited Iran. He went to offer condolences after the death of President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi. The President and other officials died in a helicopter crash.

Other Important Activities

Speaking at Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue

Jagdeep Dhankhar gave the main speech at the 2023 Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD). He spoke about the importance of a free and peaceful Indo-Pacific region. He emphasized working together for security. He also said that countries should respect each other's rights over their EEZ. He stated, "You cannot negotiate peace from a position of weakness."

Launch of INS Mahendragiri

On September 1, 2023, Dhankhar named the new warship INS Mahendragiri. He then watched as it sailed into the Arabian Sea.

Inauguration of International Maritime Seminar

Dhankhar opened the International Maritime Seminar- MILAN 2024 in Visakhapatnam. He warned that actions ignoring international law could harm regional stability. He said India believes in respecting boundaries. He also stressed that India's strength at sea is key for a developed India by 2047. He added that following international law, like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is vital for peace.

Promoting Indian Culture

Jagdeep Dhankhar often talks about the importance of Yoga. He calls it a great gift from India to the world. In 2023, he led the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations. These celebrations took place in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

He also highlights India's rich history and culture. He says many tourist places are linked to Indian history and arts. On World Tourism Day, he called India a "heaven for tourism." He encouraged Indians to explore their own country first.

Dhankhar opened the 23rd Hornbill Festival in Kohima. He praised the Naga people for their unique culture. He said, "India is a land of culture & Indians are proud of their tribal culture."

At the 36th Surajkund International Crafts Mela, he urged people to buy local handicrafts. He suggested these items as gifts for friends and family.

Dhankhar also wants to see more use of Sanskrit in daily life. He called Sanskrit a "cultural anchor" for human civilization. He believes it helps preserve India's heritage.

He also supports a balance between ancient Indian medicine, like Ayurveda and Siddha, and modern medical science.

Chancellor of Universities

As the Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar holds special positions. He is the ex-officio Chancellor of several universities. These include Panjab University, University of Delhi, and Pondicherry University. He is also the Visitor of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication in Bhopal.

Chairman of Rajya Sabha

As Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. This is the upper house of India's Parliament.

Promoting Gender Equality

In the 260th session, he made an important change. He included 17 women members in the panel of Vice-Chairpersons. This happened when the Rajya Sabha discussed the Nari Shakti Vandan Vidheyak Bill, 2023. This step helped ensure more women were represented in parliamentary discussions.

The women members chosen for this panel included:

P. T. Usha
S. Phangnon Konyak
Jaya Bachchan
Saroj Pandey
Rajani Ashokrao Patil
Fauzia Khan
Dola Sen
Indu Bala Goswami
Kanimozhi NVN Somu
Kavita Patidar
Mahua Maji
Kalpana Saini
Sulata Deo
Mamta Mohanta
Sumitra Balmik
Kanta Kardam
Geeta Alias Chandraprabha

Moving to the New Parliament House

On September 19, 2023, Jagdeep Dhankhar spoke to both houses of Parliament. This speech marked the end of using the old Parliament building. It was a historic moment for India's Parliament.