India’s Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned from his post on July 21, which created a stir in the political circles. He cited health problems as the reason for his resignation. The question is, what were those diseases due to which he had to take such a big and unexpected decision?
Health is a priority: Resignation letter written to the President
Jagdeep Dhankhar announced his resignation by writing a letter to President Draupadi Murmu on 21 July 2025. He clarified in his letter that he is taking this step on the advice of doctors and giving priority to his health. According to his letter, “In order to give priority to health care and follow medical advice, I resign from the post of Vice President of India with immediate effect as provided in Article 67 (A) of the Constitution.” He thanked President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of Parliament for the support received during his tenure. However, his letter did not give exact information about his illness.
He was admitted to AIIMS, was it a heart-related problem?
According to reports, Jagdeep Dhankhar was admitted to AIIMS hospital in Delhi on 9 March 2025 after complaining of sudden chest pain and discomfort. He was kept in the Critical Care Unit (CCU) and was treated under the supervision of a senior cardiologist. At that time his condition was said to be stable and he was discharged on 12 March. It is believed that his health has not fully recovered as his health continued to deteriorate even after this.
Sources have revealed that Dhankhar had a serious heart problem for which he was undergoing treatment for a long time. Some reports also said that he had to be hospitalized in Nainital earlier this year. Although the exact details of his illness have not been made public yet, it is clear that his health was so bad that doctors advised him to stay away from stress and take rest.
Responsibilities and stress of the post of Vice President
The post of Vice President is not only constitutional but also a very responsible one. He is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha where he has to handle difficult debates and political tensions. As Vice President, he had to face questions and criticisms from the opposition many times. This constant stress could have had a bad effect on his health. The doctors’ advice was probably that he should avoid such stress and give priority to his health. It is also clearly visible in his resignation letter that he wanted to fulfill his responsibilities fully but due to his health, it was not possible for him to do so.
With Dhankhar’s resignation, the process of fresh election for the post of Vice President will now begin in the country.