The curious case of July jinx for India's Vice-Presidents

India Today

4 days ago

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his position citing health reasons on the first day of the Monsoon Session on July 21. A curious pattern seems to shadow India's Vice Presidency with instances of high-profile resignations and even a death, all curiously clustered in the month of July. Jagdeep Dhankar still had two years left for his term to complete. Unlike some of his predecessors who resigned to ascend to the presidency, he too exited in July citing health concerns, making his early exit unusual.advertisementThe first Vice-President to resign from his post was VV Giri, as Dr Zakir Hussain, the third President of India, suddenly passed away on May 3, 1969. Under Article 65(1) of the Constitution, the Vice-President VV Giri assumed office to act as President. However, VV Giri, resigned on July 20, 1969 as Vice-President and also as the acting President to contest the presidential election. Giri eventually won the elections to become the fourth President of India.The 1987 Presidential election made a mid-term Vice Presidential election inevitable as the sitting Vice President R Venkataraman won the Presidency. R Venkataraman resigned as Vice President in July 1987 after being elected President.
After R Venkataraman was elected as the President, Shankar Dayal Sharma was elected unopposed to the post of Vice-President and assumed office on September 3, 1987. However, he fought the presidential election of 1992 and resigned in July 1992 after being elected President.The Tenth Presidential Election declared on July 16, 1992, made mid-term Vice Presidential elections inevitable. In the Vice Presidential elections held on August 19, 1992, KR Narayanan emerged as the winner. On July 17, 1997, KR Narayanan became the third Vice President in a row to win the Presidential elections. He resigned from the vice presidency in July 1997 after being elected as the President.Similarly, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat resigned from the post on July 21, 2007, soon after being defeated by UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil in the Presidential election. He submitted his resignation to President APJ Abdul Kalam shortly after the results were declared. The office remained vacant for 21 days, until Mohammad Hamid Ansari was elected Vice President.Adding to this string of July incidents, Krishan Kant, who served as Vice President from 1997 to 2002, became the only Vice President in Indian history to die in office. He passed away on July 27, 2002.- EndsTune InMust Watch