West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is NDA's Vice-Presidential candidate

Tribune News Service

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 15

The BJP on Saturday announced that Governor of West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar would be the party’s and the NDA’s candidate to contest for the post of Vice President for which election would be held on August 6.

The decision on Dhankhar’s name was taken at a meeting of BJP’s Parliamentary Board consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, besides BJP president JP Nadda.

Making the announcement here, Nadda lauded Dhankhar as a “kisan putra (farmer’s son)”, who established himself as a “people’s governor”.

Since assuming charge as the Governor of West Bengal in July 2019, Dhankhar has taken on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government regularly over various issues.

The BJP in a statement said, “As the Governor of West Bengal he has worked hard and made a mark as a people’s Governor, highlighting issues of public welfare.”

The BJP further noted that Dhankhar has been in public life for more than three decades, and his life story reflects the spirit of new India: “overcoming innumerable social and economic hurdles and achieving one’s goals”.

Lauding the decision of the party, PM Modi in a tweet said, “Kisan Putra Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji is known for his humility. He brings with him an illustrious legal, legislative and gubernatorial career. He has always worked for the well-being of farmers, youth, women and the marginalised. Glad that he will be our VP candidate.”

The last date for filing of nomination papers for the poll is July 19 and the voting for electing the next Vice President will take place on August 6. The electoral college for picking the next Vice President, who is also the ex-officio Rajya Sabha chairperson, 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.

Dhankar is a former Janata Dal Lok Sabha member from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, during 1989-91 and served as Parliamentary Affairs Minister in the Central government.

He was also elected to the Rajasthan Assembly from the Kishangarh seat in Ajmer district in 1993. Later, he joined the BJP in 2003.

Before joining politics, Dhankhar, a first generation legal professional, became one of the leading lawyers in Rajasthan and also served as the president of Rajasthan High Court Bar Association.

Born in an agrarian household in a remote village of Jhunjhunu district of the desert state, Dhankhar is a graduate in Physics and did his law degree from the University of Rajasthan.

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