New Delhi, India— Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s surprise resignation on Monday shook up the political scene. Now he is going to leave the Vice President Enclave on Church Road. The move comes as Dhankhar has reportedly already begun packing, having tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu on Monday night, citing health reasons. His resignation was formally accepted by the President on Tuesday.
Sources say that both the ruling party and the opposition were astonished by Dhankhar’s sudden resignation, which led to a lot of conjecture beyond the declared “prioritize health care” rationale. Adding to the interest, numerous well-known opposition politicians, such as Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar of the NCP (SP), tried to meet with Dhankhar on Tuesday after he stepped down, but they couldn’t get an appointment with the former Vice President.
A Short Stay at a New Address
Dhankhar, who is 74 years old, only moved into the Vice President Enclave, which was built last year, in April. This big building on Church Road, not far from the Parliament House Complex, is the Vice President’s official home and office. The Enclave was built as part of the grandiose Central Vista redevelopment plan. It has a lot of space, including the main mansion, a separate secretariat building, a guesthouse, staff quarters, sports facilities, and even a swimming pool.
Dhankhar will leave this modern building after living there for around 15 months. He was supposed to stay until 2027, when his time as Vice President, which included being the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, would end.
Entitlements After Resignation
Despite his early exit, Dhankhar is entitled to several benefits as a former Vice President. A Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry official said that he is eligible for a government home. “The official said, “He (Dhankhar) would be offered a Type VIII bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi or another place.” Type VIII bungalows are usually given to senior Union ministers or the heads of major political parties. This shows that his high office is still being recognized.
According to the laws for former Vice Presidents, if someone quits after serving more than two years (Dhankhar was in office for over three years), they are entitled to a pension and other benefits for the rest of their lives. This includes a pension at the rate of 50% of the Vice President’s salary (which is ₹4 lakh per month), meaning he is likely to receive over ₹2 lakh monthly. Other entitlements include a furnished residence (like the Type VIII bungalow), telephone facilities, a secretarial staff (including a Private Secretary and peons), medical attendance and treatment facilities for himself, his spouse, and minor children, and free travel anywhere in India by air, rail, or steamer. He will also get two personal helpers, and his wife will get a private secretary. The government would also pay for the water and power expenses for his assigned bungalow.
Dhankhar is just the third Vice President in India’s history to quit before their tenure was up. The other two were V.V. Giri and R. Venkataraman, who both quit to run for president. His resignation has now triggered the process for electing his successor, which, according to the Constitution, must be conducted “as soon as possible.”