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India Today
6 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
When India's Vice-President quit mid-term and CJI had to fill in as President
Fifty-six years before Jagdeep Dhankhar's surprising resignation from the post of Vice-President on Monday, India witnessed the first resignation of a Vice-President in 1969. But far from the intrigue in the Dhankhar case, the 1969 resignation was forced by circumstances and eventually resulted in the Chief Justice of India (CJI) taking charge of the Republic as the President of the sudden death of President Zakir Husain in May 1969, Vice-President VV Giri stepped down from his post to run for the President's led to the young Republic facing a unique situation, where Giri's resignation to run for the President's post resulted in the CJI, Mohammad Hidayatullah, taking charge as the President. His tenure lasted a month, until VV Giri was elected and sworn in as the full-time President of India. For over a month, the CJI was the acting President of India, and even hosted then US President Richard Nixon at the Rashtrapati Dhankhar's resignation on Monday, citing health reasons, makes him the fourth Vice-President to quit without completing his 5-year term. While Dhankhar's case is exceptional, the others quit to run for the President's than Giri, Ramaswamy Venkataraman (1987) and Shankar Dayal Sharma (1992) were the other two who quit mid-term and contested presidential resignation provides an opportunity to revisit the VV Giri chapter and examine how the CJI became the acting Article 67(a) of the Indian Constitution, a Vice-President may resign by submitting a written notice to the President, effective immediately upon acceptance. In the absence of a Vice-President, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha assumes interim duties, while the Chief Justice of India (CJI) may act as President if both offices are vacant, as outlined in the President (Discharge of Functions) Act, these provisions that enable transitions in India's top leadership to take place smoothly, in accordance with the OF AN INDIAN PRESIDENT, AND A FRACTURED CONGRESSOn May 3, 1969, President Zakir Husain, who had been the Vice-President between 1962-1967, died in office. A constitutional crisis was India's third President, Husain was a respected figure, and his passing left the presidency the time, the Congress party was grappling with internal party was split between the old guard, known as the Syndicate, and the faction led by then-Prime Minister Indira rift set the stage for the contentious presidential election of VV Giri, who had been serving as acting President following Husain's death, emerged as a key figure in the unfolding political Congress faced pressure to select a candidate who could have the support and unify the factions. But the divide between the Syndicate (namely the Congress Organisation) and Gandhi's supporters Congress (Requisitionists) made consensus elusive.A PRESIDENTIAL BID IN INDIA LIKE NO OTHER; VV GIRI WON BY A NARROW MARGINadvertisementThe Syndicate, a group of senior Congress leaders, including K Kamaraj and Morarji Desai, sought to assert control over the presidential favoured Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as their candidate, believing he would align with their conservative faction. Meanwhile, Indira Gandhi, pushing for greater influence within the party, backed VV Giri, who was seen as more sympathetic to her pursue the presidency, Giri, acting as the President, resigned as the Vice-President on May 13, 1969. The move was an unprecedented one as no Vice-President had election became a battleground for control of the Congress Party. Giri, running as an independent candidate with Gandhi's support, faced Reddy. Gandhi called for a "conscience vote", allowing Congress MPs to vote won the election in August 1969, by a narrow margin. He secured 4,20,077 votes against Reddy's 4,05,427, becoming India's fourth CJI WELCOMED US PRESIDENT NIXON, AS A PRESIDENTWith both the presidency and vice-presidency vacant after Giri's resignation, an interim arrangement was required. From May to August 1969, the Vice-President's post remained vacant for more than 100 President's role, temporarily assumed by Vice-President VV Giri in May, came to an end in July after he resigned, having discharged the duties of both offices for over two was then, based on the provisions of the Constitution and the President (Discharge of Functions) Act, 1969, enacted just before this crisis, the Chief Justice of India acted as the Chief Justice of India Mohammad Hidayatullah assumed the role of acting President from July 20, until Giri's inauguration on August tenure as the acting President became historic when he hosted US President Richard Nixon during his official visit to India. He even delivered a formal address at Rashtrapati Bhavan's Banquet Hall, according to the American Presidential Project, a digital archive maintained by the University of a short tenure of a month, as Article 62 of the Constitution mandates that a presidential election must be held within six months of a vacancy, Hidayatullah's stint came to an end after Giri took the oath of India's highest office on August becoming a full-time Vice-President, Hidayatullah went on to act as President thrice in the 1980s during President Zail Singh's foreign part of post-Independence lore, this precedent gains some renewed relevance in 2025. However, now, Dhankhar's resignation has paved the way for an election to fill the Vice-President's post in six months.- Ends
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Dhankhar 3rd vice president to quit mid-term
Agency: PTI New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday became the third vice president to have resigned mid-term. Earlier, Vice President V V Giri, who had taken over as the acting president after the death of incumbent Zakir Hussain on May 3, 1969, had resigned from the post. Giri resigned as the vice president on July 2, 1969 to contest the presidential election as an independent candidate. He also became the first vice president not to complete his term in office. Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat resigned from the post on July 21, 2007, after being defeated in the presidential election against Congress-led UPA nominee Pratibha Patil. After Shekhawat's resignation, the vice president's post was vacant for 21 days, before Mohammad Hamid Ansari was elected to the position. Vice Presidents R Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma and K R Narayanan too had resigned from their posts, but after their election as the president. Krishan Kant was the only vice president to die in office. He passed away on July 27, 2002. PTI SKU RC Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Before Jagdeep Dhankhar, These Two Vice Presidents Also Resigned Mid-Term
Last Updated: 74-year-old Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President of India, citing medical reasons. His resignation, effective immediately, follows Article 67(a) of the Constitution. 74-year-old Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the Vice President's post on Monday. The official letter sent to the President of India cited medical reasons behind the resignation. Dhankhar was serving as the Vice President of India since 2022. The tenure of 74-year-old Jagdeep Dhankhar was till 2027. His resignation came as a shock after a eventful day in Rajya Sabha under his chairmanship. His resignation is effective immediately and was submitted in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution. However, this is not the first time a VP has stepped down mid-term. Before Dhankhar, VV Giri and R. Venkataraman also resigned before completing their term. VV Giri (Vice President: 1967–1969) Varahagiri Venkata Giri, popularly known as VV Giri, served as the fourth President of India, holding the office from August 24, 1969, to August 24, 1974. He served as the Vice President of India from 1967 to 1969 before becoming the President of India. After independence, Giri held several significant political positions, including as the Minister of Labour. He passed away on June 24, 1980. Ramasamy Venkataraman, widely known as R. Venkataraman, served as the eighth President of India from July 25, 1987, to July 25, 1992. He served as the Vice President of India from 1984 until 1987, after which he was elected as the President of India. He was elected four times to the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament, and served in various ministerial roles, including as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance, under the cabinets of Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. R. Venkataraman passed away on January 27, 2009. In a letter, Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed deep gratitude to the President, Prime Minister, and members of Parliament for their support during his tenure. 'To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the constitution," Jagdeep Dhankhar said in his letter addressed to the President. view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 23:14 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
